Team:NEAU-China/Safety
Lab Safety:
Synthetic biology offers a lot of great opportunities, but also includes handling of different hazards that the scientists need to be aware o to be ableto minimize potential risks. Although our project is under low risk,all members of the team that have been actively involved in the laboratory work have received a general safety instruction to the laboratory, in which we have carried out the main part of our research for the iGEM project, by team advisor Li Jie prior to starting the work. We also identified when to use personal safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses etc.
according to Chinese laws and the work safety guidelines , as well as safe handling of biological materials according to the same standards .Since we only work with E-coli organisms and DNA, all our work is done on open benches or under open-front biosafety cabinet. For most procedures, basic protective gear (cotton lab coats & latex gloves) is sufficient.
Lab Safety Checklist!
If you are going to work in the laboratory, check if you are ready to enter the lab and start the work with these simple recommendations:
Get a proper introduction to the lab(s) that you are going to work in.
Get acquainted with the safety rules and what to do in case of an emergency e.g. fire, spillage etc..
Plan your work in the laboratory:
Read the protocols and standard operating procedures you are going to follow during your work
Identify when to use personal safety gear and what is the right gear such as gloves, safety glasses etc.
Book the right equipment e.g.. fume hoods, or centrifuges that you are going to use and get acquainted with it prior to usage.
Identify your limitations and when you need a second pair of hands to be able to perform the experiments.
Always plan to work in the laboratory when other people are present - NEVER work alone
Know your:
Chemicals, how to handle and dispose them - look up the instructions for each of the chemicals
Organisms and how to dispose them - are they generally regarded as safe or are they pathogenic and need extra caution
Know who to ask/call to get your questions answered and remember, there are no stupid questions.Have fun and be safe!
Safety form:
Do you plan to experiment with any other organisms,besides your chassis?
We meant to gain a large number of proteins,so we constructed the plasmid of dh5α E.coli and expressed in bl21 E.coli. We did not use any other organisms.
How will your project work?
We integrate assembly scaffoldin of immobilized protein in order to increase the enzyme amount per unit substrate and the spatial scaffoldin structure is supposed to improve the efficiency of immobilized enzyme. Futhermore,the specific cohesin-dockerin part will reduce the cost of purification of protein.
What risks does your project pose at the laboratory stage? What actions are you taking to reduce those risks?
Our project is under safety level 2 which means low risks, but we disinfect our lab regulaly and wear rubber gloves, wear lab clothes, we also classify the waste especially for chemical garbage and sterilize waste.
About Our Lab:
1.What is the Safety Level of your lab?
Level 2 (moderate risk)
2.Which work areas do you use to handle biological materials? Please check all that apply.
Open bench/Biosafety cabinet / Laminar flow hood
3. a) Have your team members received any safety training yet?
Yes, we have already received safety training.
b) Please briefly describe the topics that you learned about (or will learn about) in your safety training.
Laboratory coveralls, gowns or uniforms must be worn at all times for work in the laboratory.
Appropriate gloves must be worn for all procedures that may involve direct or accidental contact with blood, body fluids and other potentially infectious materials or infected animals. After use, gloves should be removed aseptically and hands must then be washed.
Personnel must wash their hands after handling infectious materials and animals, and before they leave the laboratory working areas.
Safety glasses, face shields (visors) or other protective devices must be worn when it is necessary to protect the eyes and face from splashes, impacting objects and sources of artificial ultraviolet radiation.
It is prohibited to wear protective laboratory clothing outside the laboratory, e.g. in canteens, coffee rooms, offices, libraries, staff rooms and toilets.
Open-toed footwear must not be worn in laboratories.
Eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics and handling contact lenses is prohibited in the laboratory working areas.
Storing human foods or drinks anywhere in the laboratory working areas is prohibited.
Protective laboratory clothing that has been used in the laboratory must not be stored in the same lockers or cupboards as street clothing.
4.Who is responsible for the safety of biology labs at your institution? What are the guidelines for laboratory biosafety? Please give a link to these guidelines, or briefly describe them if you cannot give a link.
Mr. Zhaoyong Qin is responsible for the safety of biology labs at my institution. Here is the link.
3.In your country / region, what are the laws and regulations that govern biosafety in research laboratories? Please give a link to these regulations, or briefly describe them if you cannot give a link.
- Team NEAU－China
- China Harbin
- No.59 Mucai St. Xiangfang Dist
- 150030
