Team:Rio UFRJ Brazil/Safety
Safety
A laboratory safety analysis
Lack of information about linkers registered in iGEM
Our team put a lot of effort into keeping the safest environment possible in our laboratory, which has level 2 of biosecurity. First, considering the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, we made a schedule to have the fewest people possible working in the laboratory and also keeping at least 1,5 meters of distance. Talking about PPE, all members have to use all the time: N95 mask, Face shield, lab coat, and gloves. Is also good to mention that our laboratory is less than 200 meters distant from a hospital, so any accident, even having minimal chances of occurring, can have a quite fast response.
Now about microorganisms, we use Escherichia coli, which is on the white list of IGEM for not being harmful, and also inactivated Dengue and Zika viruses. Dengue virus is only transmitted through mosquito bites and Zika virus can be transmitted by mosquito bites, and to a lesser extent by bodily secretion. To avoid contamination, these viruses were inactivated by heat by another laboratory group specialized in the virology field, with a protocol well established, and we received the viruses samples already inactivated. Even so, the viruses we manipulated the viruses inside a BSL-2 laminar flow, and the gloves and all the material used to manipulate were peeled off properly.
About chemicals, for electrophoresis we use Acrylamide (carcinogen) and ethidium bromide (mutagenic) for making the gel. Also use some corrosive chemicals such as Chloride Acid and methanol, which can cause small to medium skin lesions in case of direct contact with skin. But, even if these chemicals have considerable dangers, our PPE and safety training is sufficient to avoid any accidents
Now about microorganisms, we use Escherichia coli, which is on the white list of IGEM for not being harmful, and also inactivated Dengue and Zika viruses. Dengue virus is only transmitted through mosquito bites and Zika virus can be transmitted by mosquito bites, and to a lesser extent by bodily secretion. To avoid contamination, these viruses were inactivated by heat by another laboratory group specialized in the virology field, with a protocol well established, and we received the viruses samples already inactivated. Even so, the viruses we manipulated the viruses inside a BSL-2 laminar flow, and the gloves and all the material used to manipulate were peeled off properly.
About chemicals, for electrophoresis we use Acrylamide (carcinogen) and ethidium bromide (mutagenic) for making the gel. Also use some corrosive chemicals such as Chloride Acid and methanol, which can cause small to medium skin lesions in case of direct contact with skin. But, even if these chemicals have considerable dangers, our PPE and safety training is sufficient to avoid any accidents
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