Team:Bulgaria/Safety
Our project requires working environment corresponding to Biosafety level 1. The microorganisms that we used to construct our parts and express the proteins of interest are different non-pathogenic strains of E. coli which do not pose health risks. These strains are:
- Top10
- JW1
- Nova Blue
- DH5α
- Rosetta gami
To protect ourselves from various risk factors in the laboratory (and to protect our experiments from contamination as well) we have created a set of rules that were strictly followed by all team members. Those rules included working with standard protective equipment – lab coats, gloves and safety googles. Wearing contact lenses, jewelry and open footwear was not allowed. Long hairs were kept tied. Machines like the autoclave that may pose risk were properly maintained and handled with caution. Working with toxic and volatile substances was conducted with face masks and in laminar boxes in addition to the previously mentioned safety measures. These and all other hazardous chemicals that may be dangerous for the health or for the environment were disposed according to the standard safety protocols. In addition general safety protocols for lab behavior were applied accordingly. Each piece of equipment had a responsible person that explained working protocols and safety measure to all users.
