Team:SJTang/Safety

Safety: Our First Priority

Safe laboratories enable trained staff to conduct efficient and reliable research, without jeopardizing the health of workers. As we are working on yielding hydrogen gases this year, we meticulously designed a bioreactor prototype that can monitor the gas concentration collected within the container in real-time, reducing the possibility of accidental explosion. Also, the preparation of iodine-doped hydrothermally carbonized carbon(I-HTCC) nanoparticles and the use of an anaerobic incubator involve multiple risks.

Keeping in mind that safety is one of the most important attributes in the iGEM value set, our team has developed various measures in ensuring the safety and wellbeing of each lab personnel throughout the project. We have actively consulted with professors for detailed operation procedures, conducting pre-experiment training, evaluating risks, establishing report systems, and designing precautions for contingency.

General Lab Safety

The following precautions have to be followed when conducting any experiment:

1. Wear disposable latex gloves.
2. Wear trousers only.
3. Wear lab coats.
4. Tie up the long hair.
5. Wear face masks.
6. Ensure no skin is exposed to air.
7. No drinks or foods in the lab area.
8. Conduct experiment with two or more operators onsite, to ensure the experiments are supervised at all times
9. Wash hands and face thoroughly after the experiments.
10. Dispose of gloves and face masks into designated trash bins while avoiding contacting the outer side.
11. Dispose of sharp objects into designated containers.

Figure.1The safety instruction booklet of our lab.

Experiments with Iodine Involved

Since we need to make I-HTCC@E.coli enhance photoelectron conductivity, we have designed experiments to synthesize I-HTCC nanoparticles. Prior to the experiment, we consulted Professor Wang and his team from the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology via email for the certain methodologies in doubt. During the experiment, operators adhered following safety protocols:

Figure.2Communication with Prof. Wang.

Figure.3Iodine-related Safety protocols.

Experiments with Anaerobic Chamber Involved

The experiments involved with R. palustris should be done in the anaerobic chamber. We have developed a standard operation procedure (SOP) as per the requirements of the manufacturer, the safety of the operator, and the nature of our experiment. Each lab member gets pre-experiment training to familiarize the SOP.

Figure.4The anaerobic chamber with SOP attached.

Figure.5The translated SOP.