Team:BGU Israel/Safety
We used the Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, which were treated with double safety measures. We received the mosquitoes from Prof. Uri Abdu who is an expert in mosquitoes and allowed us to use his facilities and a specifically dedicated growth-room space. We were subjected to the regulations of his lab while working with the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes were kept in a locked designated room and were grown in cages inside the growth room. The room was equipped with an electrical device that kills mosquitoes (if escaped in the closed room). For our experiments, the mosquitoes were treated in the room and were placed on ice (dormant). When experiments were over, the entire cage was put in the fridge (4⁰C) until the death of the entire population. The content of the cage was autoclaved and discarded as biohazard, and the cage was cleaned with distilled water and 70% ethanol.
During our project we fed mosquitoes during different life-cycle stages (larva, adult) with transgenic bacteria expressing plasmids we constructed. Infected adult mosquitoes were handled with extra caution and were not transferred out of their cages alive. In case of an escape of mosquitoes after bacterial treatment, we have used an electric zapper to kill escaped mosquitoes.
Safe Lab Work:
All work in the lab was conducted according to Ben-Gurion University laboratory safety regulations. We all had previous experience working in labs and had safety training sessions during the year. The team also completed an online lab safety course which included an exam.
Lab safety was an integral part of our ongoing lab work. This was expressed in the following ways:
Personal safety: All lab work was conducted while wearing gloves, safety goggles, closed-toe shoes, and lab coats.
Clean and tidy work environment: all work benches were cleaned and disinfected with 70% ethanol at the beginning and end of each workday. Waste produced in the lab was disposed of after autoclaving.