Hands-On ULT Freezer Show Brings Cool to Campus

More than 50 intramural principal investigators, lab managers and other research staff from a range of NIH institutes, offices and centers attended a recent DSEIS Presents: The ULT Freezer Show.

Hosted by the Office of Research Services’ Division of Scientific Equipment and Instrumentation Services (DSEIS), the show offered an opportunity for the intramural community to get up close and personal with ultra low temperature (ULT) freezers that meet NIH energy-efficiency requirements.

Representatives from four vendors displayed the latest generation of new energy-efficient ULT freezers that consume about half the electricity as new standard efficiency ULT freezers. Each energy-efficient unit can save NIH $500 per year in electricity and cooling costs and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 3,800 lbs. of CO2.

During the show, DSEIS staff provided details on options for acquiring freezers and other lab equipment and instruments as well as information about ULT freezer maintenance.

Jaroslav Sebek of ORS’s Division of Environmental Protection was on hand to discuss NIH policy on management of ULT freezers, the benefits of using energy-efficient ULT freezers and the new Energy Star rating for ULT freezers. 

An NIH Supply Center representative was available with information about resources for the intramural research community.

The ULT Freezer Show is the first in the NIH ORS DSEIS Presents series of on-campus events for the intramural research community. Each event will feature a different type of lab equipment or instrument that intramural researchers use in their work. Stay tuned for future DSEIS on-campus events.

For equipment sales and rental, contact Anju Vergheese at (301) 496-9748 or email rental@ors.od.nih.gov. For maintenance, repairs and fabrication, contact Jerry Tyus, (301) 496-4131 or email DSEIS_repairs@nih.gov.