Difference between revisions of "Team:UofC Calgary/Safety"
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<li class="c0"><span class="c1">Documentation of ethics approval from the animal studies: available upon request.</span> | <li class="c0"><span class="c1">Documentation of ethics approval from the animal studies: available upon request.</span> | ||
</li> | </li> | ||
| − | <h3><span>Future Considerations for | + | <h3><span>Future Considerations for Patch Design</span></h3> |
<p class="c3"><span class="c1">If we can determine a better membrane that prevents the diffusion of the bacteria, we can use a two layer semi permeable system where the first layer prevents the diffusion of the bacteria and a second layer which further filters BBI for diffusion.</span> | <p class="c3"><span class="c1">If we can determine a better membrane that prevents the diffusion of the bacteria, we can use a two layer semi permeable system where the first layer prevents the diffusion of the bacteria and a second layer which further filters BBI for diffusion.</span> | ||
</p> | </p> | ||
| − | < | + | <h4><span >Containment</span></h4> |
<li class="c0"><span class="c1">Contamination issues may be a problem in space if the bacteria were to escape. To protect against the event that our radioprotective patch causes contamination in space or on earth, we would engineer inducible kill switches that could eradicate the bacteria if need be. Additionally, engineering controls such as the protective physical barriers of the patch would prevent the outbreak of bacteria. Various safety mechanisms have been included in the device and they are listed below.</span> | <li class="c0"><span class="c1">Contamination issues may be a problem in space if the bacteria were to escape. To protect against the event that our radioprotective patch causes contamination in space or on earth, we would engineer inducible kill switches that could eradicate the bacteria if need be. Additionally, engineering controls such as the protective physical barriers of the patch would prevent the outbreak of bacteria. Various safety mechanisms have been included in the device and they are listed below.</span> | ||
<li class="c0"><span>The backing layer and the size-controlling membrane prevents the bacteria from escaping outside of the patch and being released onto the skin, respectively.</span> | <li class="c0"><span>The backing layer and the size-controlling membrane prevents the bacteria from escaping outside of the patch and being released onto the skin, respectively.</span> | ||
Revision as of 18:45, 13 October 2016
Safety
Safety Considerations in the Lab
How we prepared for lab work
How we prepared for lab work
All Principal Investigators, mentors, and undergraduate researchers were required to complete lab safety training and take safety courses developed by Environment Health and Safety (EHS) prior to working in the lab. The mandatory safety training included updated versions of the WHMIS course, the occupational health and safety course, the laboratory safety course, a hazard assessment course, an incident reporting and investigation course, a spill response course, a biosafety program course, a biosafety laboratory course, and a biosafety bloodborne pathogens course. The courses cover biological containment protocols, handling of hazardous materials such as liquid nitrogen, and disposal of waste as well as standard safety practices. All were required to take a test following each course, which certifies safe lab work under EHS Guidelines. All team members, advisors, and mentors received credit for each listed course and training program, and supervisors were present in the lab at all times to oversee undergraduate work.
The University of Calgary has a university-wide Biosafety Committee, whose guidelines for safe biological laboratory practices were adhered to throughout the project.The team’s lab benches and experimental plans were assessed and deemed safe to proceed with. The Environment Health and Safety (EHS) provided training and information on the hazards from the types of sources and each form of radiation. All researchers underwent safety training courses. The individuals who worked with irradiated cells received radiation safety training from the EHS.
Our project utilized Bacillus subtilis and a commonly used lab-strain of Escherichia coli TOP10. Both are non-pathogenic and non-infectious, as they are Biosafety Level 1 organisms (BSL-1). These organisms, therefore, posed no significant risk to researchers. Since these BSL1 cells (E.coli and B.subtilis) have GRAS labelling, our main project did not require ethics approval by the review boards. Some team members worked with HCT116 cell lines, and 1BR3 cell lines which are human colon carcinoma and human skin fibroblast cell and are classified as Biosafety Level 2(BSL-2).The cell lines were received from completely anonymous donors. We handled these cell lines at containment level 2 in accordance with the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard and Biosafety Committee guidelines.
Safety Considerations for the Device
Structure of the Patch
Choosing Patch Materials
Considering Human Use
Future Considerations for Patch Design
If we can determine a better membrane that prevents the diffusion of the bacteria, we can use a two layer semi permeable system where the first layer prevents the diffusion of the bacteria and a second layer which further filters BBI for diffusion.
Containment
Safe disposal:
Safety considerations of Biobrick parts
Future Considerations
A kill switch in Bacillus should be designed as engineering a kill switch into standardized plasmids could be useful for future iGEM competitions. Additionally, integrating BBI in multiple sites would give more auxotrophic sites, increasing the safety of using B.subtilis in the device.
Safety forms:
