Difference between revisions of "Team:Northeastern Boston/safety"

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    <h1 id="project_header">OUR PROJECT</h1>
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    <h1 id="project_header">SAFETY</h1>
  
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    <p id="project_description__p__one">Northeastern is working to standardize protein production in microalgae. Chalmydomonas reinhardtii, the workhorse of algae research, is an attractive chassis for several reasons. Its primary carbon source is CO2, it rapidly divides, and it’s a capable of complex post-translational modifications.</p>
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<h2>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</h2>
  
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<p>Microalgae are relatively inexpensive to scale, yet have all the production capabilities of other Eukaryotic organisms (di-sulfide bonds, and glycosylation). This capability could be exploited to treat human disease. For example, there was a shortage of an “antibody-cocktail” during the Ebola outbreak. Despite the existence of a promising therapy, existing production methods were too rigid to produce the volume needed to save lives. Northeastern’s iGEM team will investigate the potential of microalgae for therapeutic antibodies and other therapeutics proteins with an emphasis on neglected disease, particularly diseases with known-but-too-expensive treatments.</p>
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<p>Special considerations must be made when genetically engineering microalgae. When using a selection marker, like Hygromycin B, it’s important to prevent the microalgae from reaching the environment. The genes for antibiotic resistance could be transferred between organisms, or give the laboratory stain an advantage in the environment. Therefore, all microalgae is submerged in bleach for 30 minutes before being discarded into a biohazard box. </p>
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<h2>Personal Protective Equipment</h2>
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<p>At all times in the lab, Northeastern iGEM members wore gloves, lab coats, and safety goggles. Only closed toed-shoes were worn and hands were washed afterwards.</p>
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<h2>Surfaces</h2>
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<p>Surfaces that may have come in contact with biological specimen were cleaned at the end of each day with freshly made 10% bleach for 10 minutes, and 70% ethanol was frequently applied to lab surfaces.</p>
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<h2>Waste</h2>
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<p>All biological waste was put into clearly labeled biohazard boxes. Before disposal, all waste was then taped with autoclave tape and autoclaved for a 90 minute liquid cycle. All sharps, including serological pipettes, were discarded into the sharps container. </p>
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Revision as of 02:29, 11 September 2015

SAFETY

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Special considerations must be made when genetically engineering microalgae. When using a selection marker, like Hygromycin B, it’s important to prevent the microalgae from reaching the environment. The genes for antibiotic resistance could be transferred between organisms, or give the laboratory stain an advantage in the environment. Therefore, all microalgae is submerged in bleach for 30 minutes before being discarded into a biohazard box.

Personal Protective Equipment

At all times in the lab, Northeastern iGEM members wore gloves, lab coats, and safety goggles. Only closed toed-shoes were worn and hands were washed afterwards.

Surfaces

Surfaces that may have come in contact with biological specimen were cleaned at the end of each day with freshly made 10% bleach for 10 minutes, and 70% ethanol was frequently applied to lab surfaces.

Waste

All biological waste was put into clearly labeled biohazard boxes. Before disposal, all waste was then taped with autoclave tape and autoclaved for a 90 minute liquid cycle. All sharps, including serological pipettes, were discarded into the sharps container.