Team:Tsinghua/Safety
Safety
Overview
This year, Team Tsinghua aimed to build up an improved wide-dynamic-range positive feedback circuit based on bacterial quorum sensing system in E. coli using methods of synthetic biology. With parts for light sensing systems, lac operon, quorum sensing and CRISPRi modules, the circuit is capable of receiving and amplifying outside stimuli. Its low leakage and high response allows us to execute fine control on signal transduction and protein expression.As a lab of biosafety level 1, we did all of our work with commonly used lab strains, E. coli K-12 (DH5α), BL21(DE3) and Stellar that are classified into Risk Group 1. Besides, hazardous chemicals were avoided as best as we can. For instance, EtBr or other unsafe DNA dyes were replaced with Sybr Safe® . All members of Team Tsinghua were required to attend a lab operation safety lecture and pass a lab safety test before performing any experiment.
The Tsinghua iGEM lab is part of the Center for Laboratory Training in Life Sciences in Tsinghua University. One of the administrators and our lab coordinator, Li Peng, and a PhD student, Wang Xuan, offered us training on experimental skills and lab safety. Our experiments were oversaw by the teaching personnels. Also we were working with instructors from Chen Lab, the laboratory of our Primary PI that specializes in microbiology research. Here are the details of our lab safety.
Safety Education
We attended Northern China High school iGEM meetup as guests on Oct 4th. By listening to the presentations of the five high school teams, we gave them suggestions and learn a lot from their projects. In addition to the presentations, our lab coordinator and team leader discussed with other student leaders and advisors on the topic of laboratory safety. As we all believe laboratory safety is very important, we shared how we conducted necessary safety orientation for our team members. Through this meetup, we hope to establish a consensus that iGEM participants should receive appropriate safety education and raise the safety awareness in the iGEM community as well.
