Team:SUIS Shanghai/Safety
Safety
Basic Safety Training
We gained basic lab training during our BioBuilder club activity including introductions to different risk groups associated with microbiology. More detailed safety training was conducted in June prior to lab work during the month of July. This training involved more extensive safety measures including the safe use of an autoclave, and both chemical and bio waste disposal in accordance with the Shanghai municipal governments regulations and guidelines.
General Project safety information
Our project design involved working with a biosynthetic gene cluster from a level 2 risk, and known pathogen - Vibrio parahaemolyticus. After completing the safety form we identified risks associated with this organism and learned it can be pathogenic (Funahasi et al., 2002). Before conducting any experiments we developed a plan to ensure the safety of team members and the community by ensuring our school’s chemical and biowaste disposal company (Shanghai Tianhan Environmental Resource Co.) can provide service during the summer months and can dispose of our waste specific to the project.
After learning of the risk status of our gene source, we designed our wet lab portion of the project so that only the only cells used in cloning experiments are of level one risk level. These cells would be grown within our lab by the team members under teacher supervision and that our gene expression experiments would be carried out, not by student team members, but by our trained biology teachers. All wet lab work was restricted to our purpose built campus biotechnology laboratory (a non teaching lab). Entrance to this laboratory was strictly off limits to students under normal circumstances and access only strictly granted to iGEM team members under supervision of a teacher. iGEM summer work was covered under the school insurance policy after gaining a special licence to be called a “summer camp” meaning both teachers and students could work during the summer holidays under normal office hours rules and regulations. Risk assessment forms were completed in accordance with school and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.
Safety Action
Trained professional staff performed higher risk lab work in accordance with our school rules. This included professional lab technicians and our teachers working with concentrated HCl for glassware washing in preparation for making reagents for our CAS assays. Because we were informed that our genes of interest are sourced from a level 2 risk pathogen, the expression experiments were all conducted by our trained teachers - Mr. David Doyle and Mr. Edgar Falcis with support from our laboratory technicians. Again safe disposal of biowaste was conducted by our teachers according to the Shanghai municipal governments regulations and guidelines. See link for further information. All cell cultures were either autoclaved or treated with bleach to ensure safe disposal.
References:
Funahashi, Tatsuya, Moriya, Kaoru, Uemura, Sachi, Miyoshi, Shin-ichi, Shinoda, Sumio, Narimatsu, Shizuo, & Yamamoto, Shigeo. (2002).Identification and characterization of pvuA, a gene encoding the ferric vibrioferrin receptor protein in Vibrio parahaemolyticus.Journal of Bacteriology, 184(3 4), 936.
https://www.msdsonline.com/resources/msds-resources/free-safety-data-sheet-index/vibrio-parahaemolyticus/
IGEM | WANYUAN | SUIS
Website: wanyuan.suis.com.cn
Mail Box: suisigem@outlook.com
No.509, Pingji Rd, Minhang District, Shanghai
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