The issue of safety was very important in our lab. Working safely and consciously is necessary so that no person or the environment is endangered. To ensure this, we have taken various safety precautions. Some of these precautions are explained below.
Safety Management
Many different factors were important to ensure a safe working environment. Before our team started working in the lab, each team member received a safety instruction. The safety instruction included general information about the different rooms in our labs and the location of safety items such as fire extinguishers or first aid kits. We worked in biosafety level 1 laboratories, which means that we work with organisms that are safe for humans and the environment. Another important precaution was the personal protective equipment that everyone in the team had to wear as soon as they entered the lab. Personal protective equipment includes a lab coat, safety glasses with UV protection and protective gloves. In addition, our lab was equipped with emergency showers and eye showers.
Safety Instruction
The safety instructions were compulsory for every team member. After the safety instruction, each member had to confirm by their own signature that they had been present at the instruction. In Germany, safety instruction must be carried out or refreshed annually. This is regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act (see §12 ArbSchG). In Germany, many security measures are regulated by various laws. The various guidelines are regulated by the "Arbeitsschutzgesetz", the "Gentechnikgesetz", the "Gentechnik-Sicherheitsverordnung" and the "Gefahrstoffverordnung". The safety instruction covers general safety in the laboratory, which is also briefly summarised in our safety kit (link education for download safety kit), as well as behaviour in emergencies, such as a fire. In addition, working with liquid nitrogen and other harmful and toxic substances was explained. An important part of our safety instruction was also the correct documentation of our work and our organisms. There was also separate instruction on various devices from our laboratory, such as the autoclave or the dishwasher. All of this enabled us to work safely and reliably to achieve our results.
Working with genetically modified organisms
In our laboratory, we have worked with organisms that belong to biosafety level 1. Since we worked with living organisms, we informed ourselves about the correct handling before use. Sterile work in the laboratory was made possible by Bunsen burners and a product protection bench. To ensure that no genetically modified organisms were released into the environment after the research, all used objects and the generated waste were autoclaved.
Covid-19 measures
Also this year, the Corona pandemic was a big topic that influenced the course of the iGEM competition. Our team followed the prescribed rules of the government and our university at all times. This meant that our meeting often took place online, we wore FFP2 masks in the lab and followed the distance rules. Even when we decided to hold our meetings in presence, enough distance was ensured and we wore masks. We always kept an eye on the situation and adjusted our behaviour if necessary. Even after many Corona measures were loosened, our team chose to continue wearing masks. This way we were able to ensure a safe environment.