Lab Safety
We submitted our IGEM safety form and it was approved.
Before our team started the lab work, We received safety training before we were permitted to start working in the lab. We worked from the molecular biology lab which had guidelines.
Among the training procedures, We received tactics on laboratory waste disposal, accident reporting, fire procedures, cleanliness and achieving antiseptic conditions and guidelines on good laboratory practices.
All was done according to our lab regulations and guidelines in the department of Micro- and Molecular biology College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB).
All the performed work in the lab was in accordance with the biosafety guidelines which are established by Uganda Laboratory Associations (ULA) and those for Makerere University Laboratory safety department.
The team used appropriate lab protective equipment including lab coats, gloves and safety masks.
Public and Environment Safety
The strain of E.coli (BL 21) is not thought to impose any risk to the safety and health of the general public since we created it with a kill switch, if it escapes to the environment, it just terminates like a detonator.
On planning to use our product commercially, we created possible ways by the help of Uganda Industrial Research Institute (UIRI) through its director to manage the handling of the product by the public through using metallic plastic disposal containers at specific collection points.