Team:SDSZ China/Safety0

iGem SDSZ_China 2018

Safety is always the most important issue in every experiment. While we were doing our experiment, we took safety as the first thing we need to consider in our design. We considered safety in several different aspects: safety in the lab, safety during operation, and biosafety throughout the whole process. In order to ensure the safety in every step, we did a lot of investigation on the Internet and made sure that we understand the principles of biosafety and biosecurity.

Preparations

We did all of our experiments in Watson Click lab, the most advanced biology lab in SDSZ. We made sure that we do not use any toxic chemicals that may harm the environment after leakage to conduct our experiment.

Safety during Experiment

While working on the synthesis of a certain enzyme to transfer chitin into chitosan, we used a few chemicals. While doing electrophoresis, we avoided anything that can be unsafe. Instead, we used Gelstain to dye, which is vey safe. We also used E. coli (BL21/DE3). They are not able to survive outside. Thus, even if a leakage happens, the environment will not be harmed. In addition 4-Nitroacetanilide is another chemical we used that is totally safe.

We are under strict training before being allowed to go into the lab and do experiment. Our instructor, Caifeng Chen, gave every student a thorough instruction video made by herself to help with the operations, including electrophoresis, spectrophotometer, and PCR. Students need to pass a test before entering the lab. When doing experiment that involves dangerous equipment, we are required to put on necessary gloves and goggles. Also, we are not allowed to eat or drink in the lab, which protect a clean and safe environment in the lab.