We are faced with a unique challenge in our lab - our lab space is the back counters of a high school science classroom. And while we don't have students poking around our experiments, we do have people coming in and out of the classroom all day on every school day. As a result, there are several things we do to keep our workspace clean and safe, not only from the students, but also for ourselves:

1. Any cupboard or space that contains our equipment we clearly label with stickers so people are aware it's iGEM property. We also label our fridge, as well as wrote a code on the front of it that tells us what plates on the inside contain which antibiotics.

2. We keep our workspace clean and organized, which prevents any mix-ups or mistakes in our lab protocols.

3. We always wear the proper lab wear - lab coats, goggles, gloves, covered shoes, tying long hair back, and anything else necessary for our own safety. We also use the correct equipment with the correct clothing, such as making sure we use oven mitts when handling hot objects.

4. Especially for the students that are in and out of classes all day, food and drinks are banned from the lab.

5. There is always an adult or mentor overseeing our experiments and protocols in the lab.

6. Whenever we use xylene, we conduct as most of our experiments as possible in the fume hood, ensuring no xylene dissipates into the rest of the room. When we take tubes out of the fume hood that contain xylene, we are sure to fully seal them.