Each year, SV Sustainability hosts the Green Academy, a thematic event focused on current research at the intersection of sustainability and life sciences.
Green Academy #6 Seminar – Planet Microbes
Next Green Academy: September 26 2025 12:00-13:30 (lunch included) SV 1717!
The 6th Green Academy will focus on how micro-organisms are vital to life on Earth. From regulating climate to supporting ecosystems and human health, their impact is immense. Join us at the SV building for a seminar exploring how these unseen allies purify our environment, protect biodiversity, and influence our immune systems.
Register here!
Past Green Academy events
Green Academy #5 Seminar – Food, from land to data
For its 5th edition, the Green Academy dives into the world of food—exploring its journey from soil to plate, its impact on our health, the data it generates, and the deep connection between our diets and the health of both people and the planet.
- Sara Bonetti, Prof. | Laboratory of Catchment Hydrology and Geomorphology, EPFL – Sara Bonetti is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor at EPFL, leading the Laboratory of Catchment Hydrology and Geomorphology. Her research focuses on the impacts of crop production on water and soil sustainability, particularly in the context of climate change and food security. With expertise in modeling ecohydrological processes, she explores innovative approaches such as climate-smart agriculture and digitalization opportunities for sustainable farming practices.
- Pedro Marques-Vidal, MD, Prof. | Department of Internal Medicine, CHUV – Distinguished researcher in epidemiology and clinical research. His work focuses on the interplay between nutrition, lifestyle factors, and cardiovascular health, contributing valuable insights into public health strategies. Prof. Marques-Vidal’s research contributes to our understanding of sustainable and healthy eating habits, aligning with both life sciences and sustainability goal.
- Marcel Salathé, Prof. | Salathé Group, EPFL – Renowned epidemiologist and digital health expert. Prof. Salathé has made significant contributions to the field of digital epidemiology, using big data and machine learning to track and predict disease outbreaks. His work bridges the gap between life sciences and computer science, with a focus on developing innovative solutions for public health challenges.
- 15:00 | Welcome
- 15:15 | Prof Sara Bonetti – Food & Land
- 15:40 | Prof. Pedro Marques-Vidal – Food & Health
- 16:00 | Prof. Marcel Salathé – Food & Data
- 16:30 | Q&A moderated by Andy Oates| Dean of the School of Life Sciences
- 17:00 | Apéro in the SV Hall
Green Academy #4 Seminar – Planetary Health
As climate and biodiversity crises intensify, human health becomes increasingly vulnerable. This seminar explores the deep connections between our environment and well-being through the lens of Planetary Health. We’ll examine climate change’s impact on the body, envision sustainable healthcare, and discuss the transformative changes needed.
Nicolas Senn is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Medicine at Unil. He also heads the Department of Family Medicine at Unisanté, where he is responsible for teaching and research in family medicine. He currently develops research projects linked to the organization of health systems and questions of the environmental sustainability of healthcare services. From this perspective, he is interested in better understanding how environmental considerations such as global warming or biodiversity loss could be integrated into healthcare services, what influence this might have on the practice of medicine and more generally on the socio-ecological transformation of the society.
Human beings and societies are increasingly vulnerable to the effects of the climate and biodiversity crises. In this seminar, we will explore the complex links between our environment and our health, through the framework of Planetary Health. We will first learn about the effects of climate change on our bodies, define what a sustainable healthcare system would mean, and explore avenues for the profound transformation that is required.
Green Academy #3 Seminar and Workshop – The carbon footprint of computational research
For this third Green Academy, focus will be put on how scientific research increasingly requires crunching large amounts of data. With the advent of machine learning, high performance computing has become ubiquitous. But what is the environmental impact of ever-increasing computing power? What is the carbon footprint of computational research?
The School of Life Sciences and SV Sustainability are pleased to host Loïc Lannelongue for a seminar and workshop on the carbon footprint of computational research.
Loïc Lannelongue will present tools that measure and address the environmental impact of computational research. In the second half, you will be able to test these tools directly on your own projects.
- Seminar | 12:15 – 13:15 | Learn about the carbon footprint of computational research and the tools to measure and reduce it.
- Workshop | 13:15 – 14:00 | Apply the tools to your own projects – bring your laptop!
Green Academy #2 Seminar – How to reconnect science with nature
The second Green Academy explores how biomimicry can inspire sustainable research and innovation. Three guest speakers will share their work at the crossroads of nature and technology. This event aims to foster cross-disciplinary collaboration—essential for building a sustainable future.
Magalí (Maggie) Lingenfelder leads the Max Planck-EPFL Laboratory for Molecular Nanoscience. Her vision is to create atomically tailored interfaces for applications in two distinct areas of urgent technological and societal relevance: energy conversion and antimicrobial interfaces.
Francesco Stellacci heads the Supramolecular NanoMaterials and Interfaces Laboratory (SuNMiL), whose mission it is to uncover the complex interactions that take place between supramolecular assemblies and the molecular world that surrounds them.
Tiffany Abitbol is the head of the Sustainable Materials Lab (SML), which conducts research on cellulose, with particular reference to nanocellulose and ecomaterials. Her aim is to develop new, functional materials from biobased components.
- Maggie Lingenfelder – Interfacial science of bio-inspired materials – 17:15
Material surfaces may be considered as the skin of a material, due to how they are used to communicate and interface with the environment. Maggie’s lab attempts to mimic nature to create sustainable materials and devices. She will present applied examples and potential future directions for the field. - Francesco Stellacci – Fast growth, use and degradation cycles in plastics – 17:40
Natural materials (such as leaves, bones, proteins) have a surprisingly constant life cycle. A third of their lifespan is used for growth, a third for service, and a third for degradation. Francesco will present how this observation lead to a breakthrough in tackling plastic pollution. - Tiffany Abitbol – Transparent wood and mycelium-based packaging – 18:05
The production of many human-made items requires large amounts of non-renewable natural resources. Tiffany’s research looks into how to create new materials out of wood and fungi, with applications in clothing, packaging and personal hygiene. - Q&A moderated by Andy Oates, Dean of the School of Life Sciences – 18:30
Green Academy #1 Workshop – Sustainable wet lab research
The first Green Academy offers practical insights into reducing a lab’s environmental footprint through three workshops: a climate café introducing the environmental impact of research, a session on sustainable plastic use, and a workshop on lab energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
Jeroen has been conducting research in microbiology for the past twenty years. He is currently studying cell division and cell-cell communication.
Jeroen’s work in a biology lab also made him aware of the impact of his research on the environment. For the past three years, Jeroen has been heading the sustainability team at the Max Perutz Labs to evaluate its environmental impact by acquiring data and analysing behaviour. The team’s goal is to make research more sustainable and fit for the future.
The workshop will be divided into three parts:
- Climate café (including lunch!) 12:15 – 14:00
This course aims to provide researchers with the basic understanding of the impact of their research on the environment and to provide tools to analyze their footprint and behavior.
- Waste workshop 14:15 – 15:30
By explaining the different plastics and how they can be avoided, reused or recycled, participants will explore how a more sustainable use of plastic can be achieved.
- Energy and CO2 footprint workshop 15:45 – 17:00
During this workshop, participants will explore the major sources of CO2 emissions in the lab, with a focus on energy use in equipment and ventilation, as well as how to take action to mitigate these impacts.