Team:IvyTech-South Bend/Safety

General Lab Safety:

1. NO FOOD OR DRINK IN THE LABORATORY. This included candy, gum, and snacks.

2. No unnecessary items will be brought into the work areas of the laboratory. An area will be disignated for the storage of purses, coats and those textbooks that are not needed in the lab. The student is allowed to bring notebook or pad and writing utensil into the lab work area.

3. Apparel with long sleeves should not be worn when using lab facilities. No jackets or coats are to be worn in the lab with the exception of lab coats.

4. If you have long hair, it needs to be tied back or covered with a hair net.

5. The following steps must be followed when entering and leaving the lab:

A. Place non essential items in the designated storage area

B. Before setting anything on top of the lab bench, wash the lab bench with disinfectant

C. If you leave the lab for any reason, wash your hands

D. Upon completion of your work, all equipment and supplies should be returned to their proper place, and wash the lab bench again!

E. Wash your hands before leaving the lab.

6. If there are spills or accidents report them immediately to the faculty advisor for further instructions on how to clean up the spill.

--Rchamberlin 19:59, 23 June 2010 (UTC)

Microorganism Safety

1 NO Eating, Drinking, or Applying Make Up.This included candy, gum, and snacks

2 Wear protective clothing: Safety Glasses, lab coat, and glove is you are working directly with micro organisms and Safety Glasses if you are observing.

3 Know the location of fire exits, fire extinguishers and safety showers.

4 Wash hands regularly, especially after working with microorganisms or chemicals.

5 Be aware of potential dangers before using products or equipement. Read labels , protocols and equipment instruction or literature carefully. Know the location and how to read the MSDS.

6 Contaminated samples (chemical, biological, glass, and radioactive wastes) must be disposed of in appropriate containers. DO NOT pick up broken glass with your hands. Learn specific methods from the lab supervisor

7 Always disinfect bench tops before and after use with antiseptic wipes

8 Always label all plates (on the bottom not the lid) and tubes with name, iGEM2010 and bench number.

9 Wash your hands before leaving the lab, even if you have worn gloves.

--Rchamberlin 19:53, 23 June 2010 (UTC)

Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of: * researcher safety, * public safety, or * environmental safety?

The scope of our project involved the creation of an IGEM that at " never leaves the lab" so shouldn't raise any issues of public safety. Working with an microbe that has been the recipient of recombinant DNA and given antibiotic resistance is always raises both research and environmental safety concerns. However, appropriate steps to have been taken to prevent accidental release of the microbe into the lab environment. Organisms that possessed recombinant DNA and antibiotic resistance were grown and manipulated under controlled conditions and disposed of as hazardous medical waste.

Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues? If yes, * did you document these issues in the Registry? * How did you manage to handle the safety issue?

None beyond those indicated for their parent part.

Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution? * If yes, what does your local biosafety group think about your project? * If no, which specific biosafety rules or guidelines do you have to consider in your country?

No biosafety group or committee exists for our college. The guidelines for the culturing, handling, and disposing of microorganisms with recombinant DNA are consistent with those followed for BioSafety Level 1 (BSL1) and cGLP.

Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?

Yes, chassis could be derived from auxotrophic strains to further insure against accidental release from the lab.