Team:Lambert GA/Safety
Safety
TEAM SAFETY
All team members involved in lab procedures were required to adhere to certain lab guidelines as outlined by our advisors. The lab safety rules include but are not limited to:
- Wash in, wash out
- Protect eyes, mucous membranes, open cuts and wounds from contact with biohazard material
- Do not eat or drink when in the lab area
- Use gloves, goggles masks as necessary
- Tie back loose hair
- Disinfect all surfaces with 70% ethanol prior to working
- Disinfect all disposable tips, glassware, tubes by soaking in 10% bleach solution for 20 minutes and then disposing in normal waste
- Dispose of growth plates by disposing into a biohazard container which get autoclaved
- Check all equipment for good working order, no chips, torn cords, cracks. Report any issues to an instructor immediately.
- When pipetting don’t touch tip to side of container
- Don’t lay caps of tubes upside down. Use masking tape to hold to bottom of cabinets
- Clean work area with 70% ethanol after working
- Clean up all glassware and lab ware before leaving lab
- Place all backpacks and stools to the side of the lab to keep walkways clear
- Always know the correct procedure for disposal of lab materials
PUBLIC SAFETY
We took certain measures to ensure that our project did not pose a threat to public safety. All organisms handled were non-pathogenic, and are unlikely to survive in the wild even if released. All biomaterials were disposed of properly and all relevant lab equipment was autoclaved after use. Team members were not allowed outside of the lab while wearing gloves and refrained from touching doorknobs or any surfaces that would come in contact with the public. We cleaned all lab surfaces after use to ensure that others did not come in contact with our biomaterials.
ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
To ensure that our project did not propose a hazard to the environment, we used only transformation strains that were purchased through New England Biolabs. Our project aim is to produce a cell line of E. coli that can be used to convert chitin from shrimp shell waste to chitosan. This process currently is completed via strong Acids and Bases. Our cells would be contained in bioreactors, much like a water treatment plant. They would not pose a threat to the environment being as they are non pathogenic.
