SAFETY

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Special considerations should 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.