Safety
Over the course of our experiment, we followed proper personal protective equipment measures. In the design of our experiment, we were mindful of the organisms that we were using and the processes that we were implementing. Over the course of the experiment, there were also special safety procedures that we followed, described below.
Double Staining Fluorescence Microscopy
- Preparing the slides required work in a dimly lit room.
- Before operating the fluorescence microscope, we each read the operating manual and attended a thorough step-by-step orientation, led by our PI Wenshu Li, about how to use the microscope, from the order of turning on the different instruments to the use of the different lenses and optical filters.
- Fluorescence microscopy was conducted in the dark to control the light shining on the slide.
Methanol Clonogenic Assay
- Plate spreading was performed in the sterile room under a ventilated sterile hood, so proper procedures must be followed to prevent contamination:
- wearing gloves and lab safety mask
- spraying the work surface and gloves with ethanol
- lighting the ethanol burner
Magenta Sulfite Colorimetric
- It was essential to wear gloves and chemicals at all times!
- Concentrated sulfuric acid, potassium permanganate, and phosphoric acid are all very dangerous chemicals, so it was essential that protocols be performed under the fume hood!
