The Hunter Lab
Certified July 2023
In the Hunter Lab, we develop materials and molecules capable of sustainably transforming compounds that are abundant or harmful to the earth into valuable chemicals. For instance, we strive to electrochemically convert nitrogen (which makes up 78% of the air we breathe) into fertilizers and planet-warming carbon dioxide into fuels. Given the environmental implications of this research, it isn’t surprising that the members of our lab tend to be passionate about living and working sustainably. The process of getting certified as a Green Lab enabled our team to have conversations about how we can creatively and effectively minimize the environmental impacts of our research without compromising its quality and the safety of those performing it. As a lab new to Northwestern, we also sought to seize the opportunity to firmly cement sustainable practices in our lab routines and group culture as they were being established. For instance, we now incorporate “Sustainability Minutes” into our group meetings (in addition to Safety Minutes) to continually evaluate our commitments. The Hunter Lab is devoted to maintaining the high standards we’ve set for ourselves in the Green Labs Certification Guide while we strive to make tangible impacts in global sustainability through chemistry.
“Taking on the Green Labs commitment meant looking at our own practices and aligning them with the main thrust of our research: sustainability. In doing this, it brought our relatively young lab closer to realizing our goals in practice as well as in principle. Our coordinator, Chris, deserves a huge amount of gratitude for spearheading this effort. We are proud to be a certified Green Lab.” - Dr. Bryan Hunter
