Research Support Fund allows for renovations to Hug lab

The Hug lab, currently used by the Hug Research Group, underwent renovations last year with the help of the Government of Canada’s Research Support Fund.

The lab operates under the leadership of Laura Hug, assistant professor and Canada Research Chair in environmental microbiology.

Hug’s lab uses a combined approach of metagenomics/bioinformatics and wet lab cultivation to understand microbial communities at contaminated sites, with the ultimate goal of developing novel remediation strategies for these contaminants.

Many of those cultures require anaerobic conditions. The renovation included installation of a custom lab bench to support an anaerobic gassing station, as well as specific counter edges to allow attachment of compressed gas cylinders. The updates to the office environment ensured appropriate electric connections for the higher computer demand as experienced by students today.

The lighting was updated to LED and individually-controlled lights. The offices received custom-built workstations to fit the space and provide each student with shelving, a white board, and all the required electrical connections. The ceiling tiles were removed to expand the space, the flooring was replaced, and new paint applied throughout.

A custom sink and a custom counter were built to accommodate the specific needs of the Hug laboratory research, along with additional shelving on the existing lab benches. The counter was built to house a gassing station for changing the atmospheric conditions of Hug’s culture bottles. The sink was converted from a full to a half-sink to make space for anchoring compressed air cylinders. Hug decided not to replace the lab benches, as the Hug Research Group studies landfills, and Hug felt it was important to salvage as much of the original lab infrastructure as possible, while still allowing for a clean, modern space.

July, 2017