Team:Austin LASA/Safety

h(g.Page, {title: 'Safety', prev: 'https://2018.igem.org/Team:Austin_LASA/Parts', next: 'https://2018.igem.org/Team:Austin_LASA/Human_Practices', selector: [4]}, h('p', null, 'Throughout our iGEM project, our team kept in mind the many hazards of dealing with genes from a hazardous organism and basic lab safety procedures.'), h('br'), h(g.Section, {title: 'Substituting safer materials for dangerous materials in a proof-of-concept experiment'}, h('p', null, 'Our project is centered around the detection of HIV, which is a Biosafety Level 3 organism. iGEM does not allow for the usage of BSL3 organisms, nor was our laboratory suited for that level of organism. Instead, we decided to use a gene from the organism that wasn’t dangerous and cleared by iGEM. After in depth research into the genes found in HIV-1, we settled on using the gene that produced the Rev protein. Rev is a regulatory protein and therefore would pose no danger to us and be usable in our laboratory. The protein is necessary for HIV-1 replication, so we can be sure that it would be present in the organism (HIV) that we wish to detect. It serves as a viable substitute for HIV-1 itself making our experiment a valid proof of concept for the detection of the HIV-1 virus.') ), h(g.Section, {title: 'Safe Lab Work'}, h('p', null, 'We followed standard laboratory safety procedures when we conducted all of our experiments. We clean our lab bench both before and after use in order to keep our workspace clean and sterile. Every single experiment was conducted while wearing gloves and lab coats when necessary. Members of the iGEM team wore closed toed shoes, long pants, and clothing without any ties or decorations that could get in the way. Members of the team tied back long hair and secured any jewelry that may hang down or get caught on objects in the lab. When we dealt with chemicals that could be mild irritants, such as MOPS, we wore respirators in order to protect ourselves. We made sure to dispose everything properly, such as putting necessary waste products in the biohazard bins. We did nothing that would require additional safety measures.') ) );