At New York University Abu Dhabi, safety is one of our top priorities everywhere, specifically in the lab and throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that we all know too well. On this page we have outlined the various safety considerations that went into our project and how we ensured that we were working safely in all aspects. We have further outlined how our diagnostic device, ADx, is safe for our future users.
To gain access to the NYU Abu Dhabi campus, all students, faculty, and staff are required to complete a COVID-19 return-to-campus safety course to ensure that all community members understand and adhere to the protocols in place to make the campus a safe space during the pandemic. Students and the administration are very aware of the threat at hand, which is why everybody on campus has been vaccinated against the virus. Additionally, only authorized community members are allowed to access the campus until the Ministry of Education deems it is safe enough to open campus access. Everybody must be PCR tested regularly and show their ID and green pass at entry points, this green pass is only available to fully vaccinated and boosted community members, which everyone on our team is. Masks were worn indoors at all times in accordance with the UAE government guidelines until the mask requirement was removed on September 28. Regardless, we made sure that everyone working in the lab was well and followed the bi-weekly turned monthly PCR testing requirements. Although the pandemic has made regular procedures more challenging than usual, our team has learned to adjust and be grateful that we have been able to make so much progress.
Our team's wet lab was divided across two different parts of NYU Abu Dhabi's campus due to the spaial needs of the team. The biology team's lab was situated in the Biology Teaching Lab located in A5 (Social Science Building) while the engineering team worked in Dr. Rafael Song's lab located in the Experimental Research Building (ERB). Because the Biology Teaching Lab is in a building separate from the main labs in the ERB, the biology team worked only under the supervision of one of our primary instructors, Ibrahim Chehade, who was always there to ensure our safety.
The entirety of our project will be carried out in a BSL-1 lab, which is the only one available to the NYU Abu Dhabi iGEM team. Our team decided that working with a nonpathogenic engineered strain of E. coli would be a safe and reliable option to synthesize the required biomarkers for experimenting methods for Alzheimer’s disease detection.
The following were the safe lab practices that our team ensured when conducting experiments:
On top of the COVID-19 Return-to-Campus training that all community members at NYU Abu Dhabi had to complete, students working in the labs took and passed three courses related to the spaces and equipment we used. Students were only allowed to begin work in the lab once they submitted their certificates of completion for all the courses.
The courses that the NYU Abu Dhabi iGEM students completed included:
Planning
Prior to the start of the experiment, lab members were introduced to what working materials are potentially hazardous. This was essential in order to be prepared for the possible events of danger. Lab was fully equipped with shower, eyewash, spill kit, first aid kit, fire extinguisher and alarm pulls.
Safety Rules
The safety rules listed below have been followed throughout the experiments.
Clearing surfaces after use
After the use of the lab, all benches have been cleaned with 70% ethanol and wipes. This ensured that any spilled chemicals were removed in order to reduce potential hazard and contamination of future experiments.
Proper Storage
All material have been labeled and stored accordingly in designated areas. This ensured easier use and safety of lab members who used the materials.
E. coli and Gold Nanoparticles Handling
Au Nanoparticles and E. coli were handled solely for experimental purposes, they will have no role in the final project. However, safety is and will always be the top priority for the NYUAD iGEM team.
Despite non-pathogenic E. coli strains being used for biomarker synthesis, it is crucial that individuals wear gloves and other necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) for the safety of the team member. Furthermore, when handling Au nanoparticles it is important to avoid any contact with exposed skin and under any circumstances inhale the nanoparticles, since they are known to be irritants to the human body.
Disposal Protocol
Non hazardous material and equipment used was disposed of in the trash bin while any laboratory glassware has been disposed of in the disposal box (broken equipment has been disposed of in the sharps container). Lastly, chemical waste has been regulated by following Hazardous Waste Disposal Program and has been disposed in designated chemical waste bin.
How our device is safe to use:
User's safety is our priority. Therefore, when developing ADx we ensured that no hazardous material is in contact with the user and that disposal of waste is easy. Most importantly, use of ADx does not pose a threat to the environment nor the patient. This is because the diagnostic tool is based on simple and regularly used blood sample extraction that has been recognized as a safe and environmentally friendly method.
*note: there are no special safety concerns