The team attended a safety training session where we learnt about the potential dangers of the different substances and equipment we would be using. We all signed COSHH forms before working in the lab so that we knew the things in the lab that could be dangerous.
It is a requirement to wear a lab coat, goggles and gloves when in the bench area (unless we are using a non-glove keyboard or a microscope).
We make sure that in all our social media photos that we are adhering this to promote safe practices in all our followers.
We have protocols for every experiment and method. This allows us to make sure we have good microbial technique. To read our protocols click here.
We used a UV lamp to visualise and cut agarose gels. We had to ensure we had no exposed skin on our hands/arms and had to wear a visor to protect our faces and eyes.
To avoid contamination we have 2 areas of workspace: a wet lab bench and dry desk space. These are in different rooms, nothing from the lab is allowed past the door in order to reduce the risk of contamination and increase safety and conversely no food or drink is allowed into the lab
There are different bins and the correct disposal of different materials is very important. We have all learnt what goes where to ensure we comply with established lab practices..
Because we are working with bacteria (biological hazard) we make sure that we wash our hands before leaving the bench area.
The departmental guidelines contains section details all the emergency procedures including first aid, fire procedures and accident reporting.
Please visit the main Safety page to find this year's safety requirements & deadlines, and to learn about safe & responsible research in iGEM.
On this page of your wiki, you should write about how you are addressing any safety issues in your project. The wiki is a place where you can go beyond the questions on the safety forms, and write about whatever safety topics are most interesting in your project. (You do not need to copy your safety forms onto this wiki page.)
Safe Project Design
Does your project include any safety features? Have you made certain decisions about the design to reduce risks? Write about them here! For example:
Choosing a non-pathogenic chassis
Choosing parts that will not harm humans / animals / plants
Substituting safer materials for dangerous materials in a proof-of-concept experiment
Including an "induced lethality" or "kill-switch" device
Safe Lab Work
What safety procedures do you use every day in the lab? Did you perform any unusual experiments, or face any unusual safety issues? Write about them here!
Safe Shipment
Did you face any safety problems in sending your DNA parts to the Registry? How did you solve those problems?
