General Lab Safety

The laboratory we use is classified as Biosafety Level 2, which means that some of the organisms we use for the experiment are moderate-risk infectious agents or toxins that pose a risk if accidentally inhaled, swallowed, or exposed to the skin. All biological wastes will be disinfected before disposal to ensure that no genetically modified organisms are disposed of in the environment.

In our laboratory, the safety of researchers is ensured. Eye washers/baths and personnel showers are placed in an easily accessible position, the fire alarm is installed, the fire extinguisher and blanket are equipped near the door, the vinyl floor and ceiling are inert, and the paint on the wall is easy to clean. In accordance with the requirements of a BSL-2 lab, the lab also has access to equipment that can decontaminate laboratory waste, including an autoclave. There is also an observation board on the door to ensure that the risk of accidents or injuries when researchers enter and leave the laboratory is reduced.

Training and Precaution in Our team

We will ask our participants to read the safety and security rules and policies on the iGEM website. Also, Safety and Security training has been given to all students before any experiments. Instructions for experiments will be given to students beforehand. Advice and guidelines from the Faculty of Health Science of the University of Macau are provided.

This allows the PI, Ms. Wai Man Cheong, who has been managing a laboratory in our school for decades, to oversee the iGEM team risk management procedures and receive suggestions from experts should it be outside their range of experience. Risk Assessment forms for individual procedures and guidelines for using chemicals were introduced to all students before the project lab experiment started. All experiments will be performed under instructions or supervision of instructors, technicians, professors, or teachers (all with appropriate higher education degrees).

Rules of our lab

1. To ensure that students do not accidentally consume any genetically modified organisms, eating and drinking are not allowed in the lab.
2. Toe shoes and contact lenses are also prohibited from entering the laboratory.
3. Liquid biological waste (e.g. bacterial culture supernatant) will also be thermally inactivated by autoclaving. The product can then be treated through normal drains.
4. Sharp waste (such as needles and scalpels) in sharp containers will be heat treated through the clinical waste stream. Biological waste spills will be cleaned with disposable paper towels and the workbench will be disinfected with 70% ethanol.
5. Goggles and strainers are provided to protect the user's eyes from strong blue light.
6. In addition, the safe use of laboratory equipment (such as centrifuges) was demonstrated before allowing the use in the lab.

Project-specific biosafety

The use of the HEK293 cell line this year means we have to operate in a BSL-2 lab as the organisms pose a moderate health hazard.
We also used ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B lights for our experiments. Students are required to wear goggles or only look through tinted glass to protect their eyes.

The DNA constructs transformed into the recipient strains will not offer any particular survival advantage in the wild or introduce harmful genes, or gene products. The vectors used are not transmissible, limiting the potential for horizontal gene transfer. Constructs may confer antibiotic resistance to strains.

Regarding the disposal of chemicals in our experiment, since no concentrated chemical will be used during our experiment, we will dispose of one chemical each time, and flush it to drain with a large excess of water to ensure adequate dilution.