Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese Army is continuing its investigations and will later announce any information that does not affect the confidentiality of the investigation
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: It has not yet been determined whether the detainees belong to ISIS or another organization
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Around 10 people of different nationalities, including Lebanese nationals, were detained
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: The Lebanese army arrested a number of people in the Matn area of Mount Lebanon with possession it has not disclosed
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: We have strong indications that there are martyrs, injuries, and trapped people in the Salah al-Din area
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Citizens should avoid Salah al-Din Street because anyone who approaches it is at risk of being directly targeted
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Reality is that there is a very limited retreat of the vehicles, with the occupation forces providing cover undeer fire up to Salah al-Din Street
Gaza Civil Defense spokesman: Claims that the Israeli occupation has withdrawn from areas in the neighborhoods of al-Zaytoun, al-Tuffah, and al-Shujaiya are false
Hamas: The two delegations stressed that any negotiations must lead to the achievement of our people's goals and aspirations, foremost among which is ending the war and the complete withdrawal of enemy forces
Hamas: A delegation from the Hamas leadership, led by the head of the leadership council, Mohammad Darwish, met with an Islamic Jihad delegation, headed by its Secretary-General, Ziyad al-Nakhalah

Staff turns off freezer, ruins decades of US college’s research

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Agencies
  • 28 Jun 2023 09:54
2 Min Read

After the freezer was switched off to quiet an "annoying alarm", Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York sued the cleaner's employer.

  • x
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)
    Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, USA (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

When a cleaner at a college in New York State turned off a freezer to muffle "annoying alarm" sounds, she unintentionally erased decades of study.

The cleaner's employer is being sued by Troy's Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), which claims that inadequate training occurred. The institution is requesting more than $1 million in damages, according to a complaint that was filed in the New York supreme court in Rensselaer County earlier this month, the Times Union newspaper reported.

“People’s behavior and negligence caused all this,” Michael Ginsberg, an attorney for RPI, said as quoted by the Times Union. “Unfortunately, they wiped out 25 years of research.”

The cleaner, who is not identified in the case, worked at RPI for a number of months in 2020 while hired by Daigle Cleaning Systems.

In further detail, many cultures from a study on photosynthesis led by biology and chemistry professor KV Lakshmi were kept in the lab freezer, as per BBC. Typically, the cultures were kept at -112F (-80C).

Related News

Mamdani secures NYC mayor nomination, Trump threatens to 'arrest him'

Trump threatens to cut NYC federal funds if Mamdani wins mayoral race

The complaint claims that an alert on September 14, 2020, days before the freezer was disconnected, showed that the temperature was changing. It also adds that the specimens in the freezer were still alive at that time.

At the time, COVID regulations prevented repairs for one week. The lab posted a notice indicating where the noise was originating from and how to turn it off in order to explain the alert and take action to protect the cultures.

To prevent anyone from disconnecting the freezer, Lakshmi also put a lock box on the outlet and socket.

“[A] majority of specimens were compromised, destroyed and rendered unsalvageable demolishing more than 20 years of research,” the lawsuit says.

The cleaner said that after hearing the sirens, he mistakenly believed he was turning on the circuit breaker in an interview with university representatives.

"At the end of the interview, he still did not appear to believe he had done anything wrong but was just trying to help," the complaint claims, adding that the cleaner made an "error" while interpreting the panel.

  • New York
  • US
  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
  • US college’s research

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Major ambush in Gaza kills 6 Israeli troops, injures dozens

Major ambush in Gaza kills 5 Israeli troops, injures 14

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
The Freedom Flotilla ship Handala as it departs for Gaza, where it aims to break the maritime blockade at a port in Syracuse, Sicily in southern Italy on July 13, 2025. (AFP)
Palestine

Freedom Flotilla's Handala departs Sicily in bid to break Gaza siege

The container ship CMA CGM Laperouse, left, docks at the Georgia Ports Authority's Port of Savannah, Sept. 29, 2021, in Savannah, Ga (AP)
Politics

US shipbuilding woes deepen as tariffs, outdated policies backfire

Gaza war raises ethical questions for ex-Obama, Biden officials
Politics

Mercenary firm tied to Gaza war crimes hires Obama-Biden PR operatives

'Israel' targets children in Gaza collecting water
Palestine

'Israel' strikes Gaza kids fetching water, blames it on 'malfunction'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS