Team:Worldshaper-Wuhan/Safety
Safety
Safety in Experiments
Conclusion
Safety in Human Practices
Safety
overview
One lnc RNA sensor will be created to detect the expression of miRNAs in human breast cancer cell line and normal breast cell line. Because this lnc RNA has a lower expression in breast cancer patients, our project is planned to develop the new non-invasive method to diagnosic breast cancer based on detecting the expression of specific miRNA in the future. During every experiment, our team took safety for the environment, ourselves, and others very seriously. Every member in Worldshaper-Wuhan has learned basic lab access and rules. When carrying out experiments, we regard personal biosecurity as our priority.
Safety in Experiments
Ecoli Strains
our team chose one of the most commonly used chassis in the iGEM white list, E.coli DH5α for our design. E.coli DH5α is classified as low risk in biosafety level 1. If they run out of the lab, they may cause environmental pollution such as water pollution; thus, when our experiment involving E.coli finishes, we sterilize the culture with high temperature and high pressure, and then dispose the waste following the requirements of lab safety rules.
Gel electrophoresis
Gel electrophoresis involves regular use of ethidium bromide, a DNA- intercalating agent known to cause cancer. Therefore, we used EB’s substitute Goldview, another nucleic acid dye with a similar sensitivity as EB. This experiment also involves the use of powerful UV light for visualization of gel electrophoresis. We used the transilluminator carefully to prevent direct physical contact.
Potential Risks and our Solutions
1. Contact with acrylamide when we carry out SDS electrophoresis of protein gel might cause chemical poisoning. Thus, every member is required to put on lab coats, wear gloves and mask. 2. Running gel electrophporesis involves using high voltage through a liquid. Hence, we wear appropriate PPE and inspect electrodes and chamber before use. 3. During our Contribution experiment, contact with metal Arsenic might lead to loss of appetite, occasional nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. Therefore, we make sure that the whole experiment is carried out closed to the window.
Conclusion
Cheng Wang and Rui Zhou from Wuhan University are our safety administrators and are responsible for daily safety-check in the lab. We were regulated to wear lab coats and gloves for molecular biology (e.g., Plasmid DNA Purification, PCR) and biochemestry (e.g., Electrophoresis), and must wear asepsis clothes, gloves and masks for cell culture. We have settled designated area for different experiments and speical store room for dangerous materials. Our experiments are all conducted following the Regulation on Biosafety in Laboratory of Pathogenic Microorganisms by the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
Safety in Human Practices
In year 2020, the coronavirus outbreak has influenced many aspects of our life: Schools are closing, sports leagues have been canceled, and many people have been asked to work from home. The COVID-19 pandemic is also an unprecedented challenge for iGEM competition this year, especially when we carried out human practice work. A large part of our public engagement program was done by interviewing passers-by on the street. Similarly, we had face-to-face conversations with several experts working in the field of breast cancer or synthetic Biology. In both cases, wearing a mask was undoubtedly indispensable for safety concerns. We were also careful to maintain distance with one another and avoid direct contact with door handles and elevator handrails. We also obtained the consent of the interviewees before taking photos and videos.