ISBER 2026 Best Paper Award - Webinar

Paper title: Institutional Conversion to Energy-Efficient Ultra-Low Freezers Decreases Carbon Footprint and Reduces Energy Costs Presented by: Dean Shehu, MBA, Senior Category Manager, Research | UCSF Supply Chain Management | University of California, San Francisco, USA ISBER is pleased to feature the recipient of the 2026 Best Paper Award in Biopreservation and Biobanking through this webinar. This award recognizes a most impactful paper that was published in Biopreservation and Biobanking (BIO) each year. Selection of the Best Paper Award is based on qualities including both originality/novelty of the research and its potential applications in biopreservation and biobanking fields, ranging from biobanking governance, operation, management, cryobiology, cryopreservation, cold chain, ethical/legal/social issues, to biospecimen science and quality control. This award is made possible with the generous support of Sage (the publisher of BIO) and an anonymous donor. About the paper: UCSF’s pilot program quantified the benefits of replacing energy-inefficient ultra-low-temperature (ULT) freezers, a major source of biospecimen storage-related emissions and energy costs. Novel models were developed to identify the least efficient freezers and forecast energy and cost savings, accounting for HVAC impacts, equipment aging, and rising energy rates. UCSF’s methods also ensured the safe transfer of frozen samples. The pilot reduced annual electricity equivalent to 134 metric tons of carbon emissions and saved $55,889 annually, with an eight-year payback period. Its success launched an institution-wide initiative projected to cut 3,423 metric tons of emissions and save over $2.3 million annually.