Team:OUC-China/Safety

• PROJECT
  • Description
  • Design
  • Results
  • Contribution
  • Engineering
  • Implementation
  • Proof of Concept
• WET LAB
  • Experiments
  • Safety
  • Measurement
• MODEL
  • Overview
  • 3WJ
  • ODE
  • Sequence Design
  • Software
• PARTS
  • Overview
  • Improvement
  • Collection
• HUMAN PRACTICES
  • Human Practices
  • Education
  • Comics
• COLLABORATIONS
  • Collaborations
  • Meet Up
  • Team List
  • Partnership
• TEAM
  • Members
  • Attributions

Safe Project Design

We are convinced that we are responsible for the environment and our colleagues in the experiment. All the parts we have utilized are selected from Risk Group 1 in our design. What’s more, we worked with lab-safe E. coli strains E. coli DH5α and E. coli BL21 star (DE3), which are both non-pathogenic bacteria. All strains are on the Whitelist and were provided by the company. As a matter of fact, the RNA-based regulatory elements and the logic gates system we build are harmless for the growth of bacteria and relatively safe for applications. For the sake of environments, all the chassis organisms will be sterilized before being abandoned to prevent the genes from leaking.

Safe lab work

We work at a neat lab named “Lab for Microinnovation and Enterprise”, which is a BSL-2 laboratory. Before working in the lab, we are supposed to be trained, not only for the general lab safety rules, but also for the standard experimental operation avoiding unnecessary damage. There is no zero risk to the experimenter in any experiment, hence we are properly equipped with facilities, such as latex gloves, nitrile gloves, goggles, lab coats to protect us from biotic and abiotic hazards.

Figure1. Our laboratory and personal safety precautions.

Furthermore, several operational zones are divided scientifically for special experiments like A zone where is weighing the drugs, preparing the medium and sterilizing, B zone where is the recording experimental note and organizing experimental data area, C zone where is a molecular operation area, D zone where is RNA electrophoresis and a polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis area. For us, lab safety is a hot topic and we have come up with a practical lab safety manual that normalizes our lovely lab. Fortunately, this year, the ventilation system was refurbished and the medicine cabinet was added, ensuring a clean experience environment.

Figure.2 Our ventilation system and the medicine cabinet

Practical lab safety procedures

We have made a series of laboratory regulations to make sure that it is important to protect us from biotic and abiotic hazards and we use it every day.

1. Before the experiment

(1) Dress in a standard way, wear lab clothes and gloves, and do not wear slippers or loose hairs.

(2) Beverages (including water) and food are not allowed to enter the laboratory.

(3) Be familiar with the instrument before the experiment to avoid damage to it due to unfamiliar operation.

2. Experiments

(1) In case of injury, drop the work at hand for the first time to deal with it.

(2) Operate in strict accordance with the experimental specification and the operating specification of the instrument to avoid errors or experimental failure or damage to the instrument due to personal reasons.

3. After the experiment

(1) Clean the table and tidy up the experimental supplies.

(2) Waste drugs should be disposed of according to specific requirements.

(3) Do not take anything out of the laboratory for biosafety issues.

Figure.3 Safety operation

About Coronavirus

This year, COVID-19 is both a global and local challenge for many in our community at this time. Although our project is related to virus detection, we are sure that we won’t plan to work with the live SARS-CoV-2 virus or environmental, animal, or human samples likely to contain it. What’s more, we won’t plan to use any fragments of the SARs-CoV-2 virus and it is replaced by modeling with other virus’ fragments from the reference.

During everyday work, we think carefully about any in-person interactions with people. We strictly follow all guidance from the local health care experts about in-person interactions, whether between team members or with others in the community.

Figure.4 Safety Instructions for Laboratory during the epidemic prevention

We also set a series of measures to protect against the epidemic in the laboratory.

(1) During the epidemic prevention and control period, key areas of the laboratory, including the ground, sink, door handles and experimental table should be disinfected daily. After each disinfection, open the doors and the windows for ventilation for 30 minutes. The ventilation should be done at least 3 times a day.

(2) Take temperature 3 times a day. If you have a fever or other symptoms, you should report them in time, be isolated according to the school arrangement and be avoid entering the laboratory.

(3) Wear a mask and do hands disinfection while entering the laboratory.

(4) The number of laboratory students in each period should not exceed 4.

Figure.5 Alcohol and hand sanitizer for disinfection