Safety

... first. :)

Due to the nature of this project, some basic safety features have to be taken into account when in the lab. Always, in the lab, gloves, lab coats and safety spectacles were worn to prevent any problems through cross contamination and removal of vectors or bacteria from the lab to the public environment.

When using pipettes in the lab, all pipette tips were discarded into a central beaker and then discarded into a biological waste bin. Any pipettes that were used to transfer bacteria were transferred to a beaker containing 5% DECON to kill the cells before disposal of the tips into the biological waste bin. This process was used for any cell containing vessels; falcon tube and glass vials were washed before being disposed of or autoclaved.

After running DNA gels the gel itself was thrown our into a chemical waste bin for disposal, and the TAE (Tris base, acetic acid and EDTA) buffer was poured into a large container. The reason for this is because they both contain ethidium bromide (EtBr), due to toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and skin irritant. The ethidium bromide is then collected and disposed off in the chemical waste bin, whilst the buffer was poured down the sink.

Safety questions answered

1. Throughout the project, we worked hard to ensure high levels of safety. The organisms we used in our project include E. coli strains DH5-alpha and BL21 DE3 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. These organisms are classified as Risk Group 1 laboratory organisms and are unlikely to cause pathogenic harm to the team and members of the lab. However, our team followed basic laboratory procedures appropriate for the BSL-2 laboratory we were working in. Additionally, team members had to sign a COSHH form before they were able to begin any of their lab work.

2. No

3. Our supervisor falls under the requirements of the University Chemical and Biological Hazards group which fulfills both the requirements of the University Court and the Principal’s Office as well as the legal requirements pertaining to biological agents and genetically modified organisms.

4. There should be an iGEM-specific online discussion group, where teams could post their concerns about potential biosafety issues that their (or even some other team’s) research may cause. Through discussion with other teams' students and advisors, a consensus could be reached on whether or not the project is safe to pursue.

Hazardous Substances Risk Assessment Summary Forms