Safety Page
Synthetic Biology can provide new techniques in order to improve the quality of living. Despite the fact it is a tool to improve life, we must not forget it is about experimentally engineering, so safety measures are required.
The laboratory members need to secure themself from what they are working with and also, they need to protect the rest from any danger this work could do.
Safety project design
We were working with DH5$\alpha$ strain of Escherichia coli, which will be able to reduce polyamine concentration after a double knock-out and a short gene device Knock-in. These bacteria will be polyamine auxotroph, this requirement of nutrients will force our bacteria to introduce polyamines from the environment, reducing the concentration of that molecule which is harmful in high concentration. Once this molecule is inside our bacteria, the gene device knock-in which contains two enzimes, will use this harmful molecule for his own life and at the same time changing it to a harmless molecule.
Eventually, the main function of our bacteria will be to reduce colorectal cancer.
- DH5$\alpha$ is harmless and non-pathogenic for humans, so our bacteria is simple use.
- Polyamines are non-toxic, except Putrescine which needs to be worked with glasses and face mask.
- There is no letal gene involve in our device knock-in development.
- There is no toxic product, excepte vapour from TAE-agarose production for gels, as SYBR safe is used instead of ethidium bromide.
Safe Lab Work
Taking into account that our bacteria is not harmful for humanity, safety measurements for our organisme deletion are quite simple, just avoiding the realese of that bacteria to the environment and throwing it in suitable trash cans.
Safety rules of our lab are:
- It is compulsory the use of lab coats and gloves, regarding that our lab work is about biological material, sterilization of that material.
- Use of long jeans, closed shoes and upsweep hair.
- Close the gas when we are far from it.
- Preparation of gels in gas extraction hoods.
- Laboratory with emergency showers, fire extinguishers and eyewahs.
- Throw each waste to its related container.
- Eat and drink out of the laboratory.
- Throw modified organisms and their products by using appropriated protocols.
- Emergency kit.
- The team has been trained in risk prevention in the laboratory and best practices.
- Use of SYBR Safe instead of EtBt.
