Difference between revisions of "Team:CSU Fort Collins/Safety"
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<h5>Safe Lab Work</h5> | <h5>Safe Lab Work</h5> | ||
| − | <p>The lab that we grow <i>Thermococcus kodakarensis</i> in has several anaerobic chambers, which we clean with ethanol every time we work in it. | + | <p>The lab that we grow <i>Thermococcus kodakarensis</i> in has several anaerobic chambers, which we clean with ethanol every time we work in it. We also decontaminate all equipment that is brought into the chambers, and most commonly used equipment used inside the chamber stay inside of it at all times.</p> |
| − | <p>Our organism, Thermococcus kodakarensis, is an obligate anaerobe that will die when taken out of the anaerobic chambers. Due to its required growth conditions, working with this archaeon has very low risks to environmental safety, and there are no known ethical risks. With this, no other precautions are necessary as all work with the organism is performed in an anaerobic chamber. All of the reagents and nutrients used in the culture | + | <p>Our organism, Thermococcus kodakarensis, is an obligate anaerobe that will die when taken out of the anaerobic chambers. Due to its required growth conditions, working with this archaeon has very low risks to environmental safety, and there are no known ethical risks. With this, no other precautions are necessary as all work with the organism is performed in an anaerobic chamber. All of the reagents and nutrients used in the culture were disposed of properly. For our chassis and transformations, we used e-coli K12 derivatives, XL1 blue cells, and Stellar cells.</p> |
<p> Regarding equipment safety, however, precautions must be taken with the hydrogen and nitrogen tanks that are used to fill the anaerobic chambers. The tanks must be secured at all times as well as inspected for safety. The anaerobic chambers are equipped with electronic gas leak sensors, so any malfunctions with the machinery can be stopped with these safety features. The Hydrogen and nitrogen tanks were tied and weighed down during the tank changes.</p> | <p> Regarding equipment safety, however, precautions must be taken with the hydrogen and nitrogen tanks that are used to fill the anaerobic chambers. The tanks must be secured at all times as well as inspected for safety. The anaerobic chambers are equipped with electronic gas leak sensors, so any malfunctions with the machinery can be stopped with these safety features. The Hydrogen and nitrogen tanks were tied and weighed down during the tank changes.</p> | ||
| − | <p>The PI’s are Dr. Tomas Santangelo and Dr. Christie Peebles. The Colorado State University Biosafety Office under the Vice President for Research Office provides oversight for biosafety at our institution. The guidelines are from CSU's BSL1 section in CSU's biosafety handbook.</p> | + | <p>The PI’s are Dr. Tomas Santangelo and Dr. Christie Peebles, and the safety officer is Claudia Gentry-Weeks. The Colorado State University Biosafety Office under the Vice President for Research Office provides oversight for biosafety at our institution. The guidelines are from CSU's BSL1 section in CSU's biosafety handbook.</p> |
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Revision as of 22:33, 1 November 2017
Safe Project Design
The saftey features of our project:
- Thermococcus kodakarensis is nonpathogenic.
- Thermococcus kodakarensis is an obligate anaerobe, so it is easily contained under normal conditions
- Limonene is a nontoxic chemical, and is used in food products
- Thermococcus kodakarensis can only grow above 80°C, so it cannot spread under normal conditions.
Safe Lab Work
The lab that we grow Thermococcus kodakarensis in has several anaerobic chambers, which we clean with ethanol every time we work in it. We also decontaminate all equipment that is brought into the chambers, and most commonly used equipment used inside the chamber stay inside of it at all times.
Our organism, Thermococcus kodakarensis, is an obligate anaerobe that will die when taken out of the anaerobic chambers. Due to its required growth conditions, working with this archaeon has very low risks to environmental safety, and there are no known ethical risks. With this, no other precautions are necessary as all work with the organism is performed in an anaerobic chamber. All of the reagents and nutrients used in the culture were disposed of properly. For our chassis and transformations, we used e-coli K12 derivatives, XL1 blue cells, and Stellar cells.
Regarding equipment safety, however, precautions must be taken with the hydrogen and nitrogen tanks that are used to fill the anaerobic chambers. The tanks must be secured at all times as well as inspected for safety. The anaerobic chambers are equipped with electronic gas leak sensors, so any malfunctions with the machinery can be stopped with these safety features. The Hydrogen and nitrogen tanks were tied and weighed down during the tank changes.
The PI’s are Dr. Tomas Santangelo and Dr. Christie Peebles, and the safety officer is Claudia Gentry-Weeks. The Colorado State University Biosafety Office under the Vice President for Research Office provides oversight for biosafety at our institution. The guidelines are from CSU's BSL1 section in CSU's biosafety handbook.
