Safety is the utmost concern of our iGEM program because of known and unknown risks throughout the experiment process. Therefore, every member must follow the safety code while performing the experiment and protect ourselves and the environment. This page introduces our safety measures and risk management/prevention plan.
Before each BJEA_China member enters the laboratory, they complete mandatory safety training about the safety code and the safe operation of the apparatuses. Besides, we put personal biosecurity at high priority. We arrange groups to sterilize and clean lab equipment every day. Each group has a supervisor responsible for safety inspection every day after experiments. Our team also set up detailed rules for equipment usage, waste management, and specific procedures that help us maintain lab safety. After consulting teachers and discussing with team members, we set up penalty rules for members who violate the lab safety code. The successful implementation of the code ensures the high-efficiency completion of tasks in a secured laboratory environment.
Our team uses two E.coli strains (Biosafety level 1) in the experiment: E.coli DH5α (for molecular cloning to obtain recombinant plasmids) and E.coli BL21 (for protein expression and purification to obtain target proteins). Both strains are the most commonly used chassis in the iGEM whitelist. To ensure proper handling and working with the strains, our team held mandatory biosafety training for every member. Our experiment does not involve organisms or agents that are potentially infectious or cause diseases, so we follow the standard of BSL-1. A potential risk is the E.coli we build, which may release antibiotic-resistant genes into the environment. But since all safety procedures are followed strictly, and all work related to living organisms well isolated within the laboratory, we have reduced this risk to the minimum level.
During the SDS electrophoresis of protein gel, physical contact with acrylamide may lead to chemical poisoning. Team members are trained to wear a mask, in addition to a lab gown and gloves, before handling acrylamide. In addition, nucleic acid gel and dye can potentially harm our bodies. Therefore, every member operates it in a special area and wears PE gloves for protection.
Our team instructor is responsible for lab security and is well acquainted with our experiments. With expertise in synthetic biology experiments, she supervises our experiment safety. In addition, all team members have passed the biosafety training and testing required by laboratory assistants and engineers, and only after passing the tests can they conduct experiments. Our members are fully aware of the risks involved. We all strictly follow the biosafety requirements and perform experiments according to the safety regulations, which ensures that nothing can escape from our laboratory. In the event of an accident, we can deal with the problem in accordance with the relevant safety codes to prevent further problems.
In case of visitors come to our lab, we teach them basic lab rules and provide safety protection tools such as lab gowns and gloves.
All our team members follow the government’s COVID-19 policies. We update our nucleic acid test every three days to ensure that all of our tests are negative before entering the lab. If a team member fails to update their test result, they will not be allowed to meet with the team until they get a new test that shows negative. Also, during the experiment, we follow the prevention of COVID-19 and wear masks to keep everyone in the lab safe.
