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<h1> Project Safety </h1> </center> | <h1> Project Safety </h1> </center> | ||
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− | The <i> E. coli </i> | + | The <i> E. coli</i> DH5α strain (a K-12 derivative) that we have modified (or engineered) is classified under Australian Law as a safe strain as host genes cannot be transferred and is unlikely to mutate. The <i>Escherichia coli</i> is a knockout strain from the human gut microbiome and would require additional nutrients to grow in the environment freely (the addition of thiamine and leucine), and it has no pathogenesis factors classifying it as a biosafety level 1 organism (BSL-1). |
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− | The genes we have added are from <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i> and are therefore not readily found throughout the environment in plants, algae, and other bacteria. These genes would not give rise to a resistance or survival advantage, | + | The genes we have added are from <i>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</i> and are therefore not readily found throughout the environment in plants, algae, and other bacteria. These genes would not give rise to a resistance or survival advantage, because they have been engineered to produce hydrogen gas, a highly unlikely advantageous trait as they impart the organism with reduced fitness since its metabolism has been re-engineered to produce non-essential, and possibly growth inhibitory, output. Horizontal transfer could occur in the environment even if our Hydrogen Gas Production Gene Cluster containing cells were dead as the plasmid may still be transferred to another organism. This organism is likely to be in an aerobic environment, which inactivates hydrogenases. If horizontal gene transfer occurs into an anaerobic organism, our gene cluster would not be functional due to the requirement of IPTG for induction. |
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Latest revision as of 11:50, 1 November 2017
Lab Safety
Under standard Workplace Health & Safety guidelines, prior to entering the lab for the first time, team members were given a safety induction. This outlined both appropriate laboratory behaviour and laboratory safety features such as: the location of emergency showers; eyewash stations; fire and chemical extinguishers; fire blankets; and emergency power shut off points. All team members wore appropriate personal protective equipment upon entry into the laboratory, which consisted of a lab coat, enclosed sturdy footwear, safety glasses, and tied back hair (where applicable). No eating or drinking occurred within the laboratory and all wet lab work was conducted within the laboratory.
A laboratory technician, academic advisor, or staff member, was always present when any wet lab work was being conducted within the laboratory, and all team members were briefed on the operation of certain pieces of equipment prior to their usage. All potentially hazardous biological substances was disposed of into relevant waste and biohazardous material bins, and benches were cleaned down with ethanol to disinfect them at the end of the day, or after the completion of our experiments. We used designated fridges and freezers for storing our biological products and used biosafety cabinets when diluting H2 gas producing, Hydrogen Gas Production Gene Cluster cultures down to a concentration required for Clark electrode measurements.