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Synthetic biology will need to be used safely and securely if local people are to solve local problems all around the world. The Safety and Security Committee is challenging teams to apply biological engineering approaches to manage risks associated with synthetic biology. Can you take the next step in incremental progress towards knowledge, understanding, and tools that will make the use of synthetic biology safer and more secure?
To compete for the Safety and Security award, please describe your work on this page and also fill out the description on the judging form.
Please see the 2023 Awards Page for more information.
On this page of your wiki, you should write about how you are addressing any safety issues in your project. The wiki is a place where you can go beyond the questions on the safety forms, and write about whatever safety topics are most interesting in your project. (You do not need to copy your safety forms onto this wiki page.)
Please visit the Safety Policies page to find this year's safety requirements & deadlines, and to learn about safe & responsible research in iGEM.
Does your project include any safety features? Have you made certain decisions about the design to reduce risks? Write about them here! For example:
What safety procedures do you use every day in the lab? Did you perform any unusual experiments, or face any unusual safety issues? Write about them here!
Before beginning work in the wet lab, all members of our team underwent mandatory training to ensure lab safety and proper hazardous waste management. We completed an online course on Lab Safety for Research Personnel and Hazardous Waste Management, which was developed by the UCSC Environmental Health and Safety department (EH&S). This comprehensive course covered essential topics such as personal protective equipment, safe lab practices, lab organization, and the appropriate handling and disposal of chemicals and biohazards.
Upon successful completion of the online course, we received in-person orientations conducted by our principal investigator, Dr. David Bernick. In order to provide us with adequate protection, EH&S supplied our wet lab with standard white lab coats suitable for BSL1 environments, along with lab safety glasses.
In addition to adhering to proper safety protocols, we implemented a system of weekly lab chores to maintain a clean and organized working environment. We consistently emphasized the importance of keeping bench spaces tidy, and we strictly enforced a policy that prohibited individuals from working alone in the lab.
To ensure our proficiency in operating the autoclave located in the UC Santa Cruz Baskin Engineering building, our principal investigator provided us with hands-on training specific to our lab's autoclave.
Selecting a host organism with a proven track record of safety was a top priority for our team as we embarked on expressing our protein. We opted for E. coli, a widely used and well-characterized organism. However, to maintain a contamination-free environment, we implemented stringent handling procedures. Waste generated during the experiments, including E. coli cultures and any associated materials, were promptly and properly disposed of in designated biohazard waste bins. Liquid cultures were discarded responsibly using bleach, ensuring complete inactivation of the bacteria. These measures were taken to prevent any unintended contamination and to maintain the integrity of our experiments. By adhering to these specialized handling protocols, we ensured a safe working environment and reliable results throughout our project.
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