Team:British Columbia/Safety

Table of Contents

• Safety

• PROJECT

  • 
  • Inspiration
  • Description
  • Approach
  • Hardware
  • Results
  • Parts
  • Future
• LABORATORY
  • 
  • Experimental Design
  • Protocols
  • Notebook
  • Safety
• MODEL
• HUMAN PRACTICES

  • 
  • Integrated Human Practices
  • Education/Outreach
  • Collaborations
• TEAM

  • 
  • Team
  • Attributions
  • Sponsors
• MEDALS

Due to our use of saxitoxin (SDS here) and CBD (SDS here), both potentially hazardous materials, we needed to take extra precautions to ensure our safety in the lab.

To know more about the dangers of these compounds, we did a close review of the provided SDS. Here the documented risks and hazards gave us a good idea of what we were dealing with and we followed the noted recommendations very closely. We also did additional research into other iGEM teams and other research groups that may have worked with saxitoxin or CBD and implemented their tips as well. Some examples of what we did can be seen below.

Firstly, before anything was done, proper safety precautions were discussed and experiments were set up prioritizing safety. Students needed to be trained in biosafety courses and only properly trained personnel worked with the chemicals. Correct PPEs and engineering controls were implemented (proper gloves, lab coats, taping sleeves, masks, fumehood/biosafety cabinet use, etc.). Each experiment was monitored by our experienced advisors. Surveillance of the items and proper disposal of toxins were taken into account and conducted as needed.

Please refer to our safety formsand check-in forms for more information.

Handling Saxitoxin

1) Members in the lab have undergone and passed UBC's biosafety and chemical safety training course to be able to work in the lab

2) The SDS accompanied by the STX is thoroughly studied and recommendations are carried out when working with the chemical includes:

Use ventilation adequate to keep exposures (airborne levels of dust, fume, vapor, etc.) below recommended exposure limits. [we worked in a biosafety cabinet]

Hand protection : Wear suitable gloves. [additionally we double-gloved to make sure]

Eye protection : Safety glasses or goggles are recommended when using product.

Skin and body protection : Wear suitable protective clothing. [lab coats were used and sleeves were taped for an extra precaution]

Respiratory protection : In case of insufficient ventilation, wear suitable respiratory equipment.

Other information: Do not eat, smoke or drink where material is handled, processed or stored.

3) the chemical is bought at a highly diluted form (20 ppm - 66.2 uM -> 20 ug) that will pose a lower risk to the lab members (much lower than lethal dose needed: ~ 50ug)

4) Waste (anything that has come into contact with the STX) is collected separately and handed over to the lab manager for specific hazardous material disposal

[Figure 1: The fumehood we used when working with Saxitoxin]