Team:Virginia United/Safety

Virginia United
All students in the Virginia United regional iGEM team received biosafety training at the iGEM boot camp and signed safety contracts.

VT/BSC subteam

• Students attended Virginia Bioinformatics Institute’s mandatory Student Groups Health & Safety Orientation.
• Students received ethidium bromide training from Virginia Bioinformatics Institute to ensure safe handling and disposal of this chemical.
• The subteam worked in a BSL-1 laboratory which met practices, safety equipment, and facility requirements for this biosafety level.
• Students were supervised at all times in the lab by a faculty advisor with microbiology experience and considerable laboratory safety training. In addition, a molecular biologist and laboratory manager at Virginia Bioinformatics Institute and a laboratory manager at Fralin Biotechnology Center provided safety counseling.
• All subteam members were provided Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – laboratory coats, gloves, and safety goggles. PPE was used appropriately. Team members were required to wear appropriate clothing in the lab - no open toed shoes and no clothing above the knee were permitted.
• No food or beverages were permitted in the lab.
• Biohazard waste was properly handled and was autoclaved on a regular basis.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) were reviewed before chemicals were used. Chemicals were handled according to MSDS instructions. A fume hood was used to perform work involving volatile chemicals.
• Hazardous chemical waste was labeled and stored properly. This waste was picked up by Environmental Health Safety Services for proper disposal.
• Flammables were stored in a flammables cabinet.
• Bunsen burners were turned off when not in use.
• The laboratory facility was cleaned daily and kept organized.

University of Virginia team

• The UVA Team members were trained by the UVA Office of Environment Health and Safety.
• Also took online training courses in "Chemical Safety and Waste Training for Research Personnel" and went through additional training for working with arsenic.

VCU and VSU subteam

• All VCU and VSU lab workers were required to participate in online courses in General Lab Safety, Physical Hazards, Carcinogen, and Biosafety Training before conducting research.