Team:NYU New York/Safety
New York University
Safety
At NYU iGEM we believe that safety is the first part of running an efficient and productive lab. All aspects of the project are carefully monitored for lab and industrial standards and safety. This page documents the precautions that the team has taken to prevent exposure to chemicals, toxins, and pathogens.
General Lab Safety
NYU iGEM works in a Biological and Chemical Certified Lab at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. The lab has an autoclave for disinfection, laminar flow hoods, and proper waste disposal units. NYU iGEM follows the Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) waste management protocol to dispose of microbial and chemical waste.
Training
Biohazard Safety
In order to work in the lab, all of our team members had to receive biohazard and chemical safety training. Team members attended Environment, Health, and Safety training (EHS) courses to learn about proper handling and disposal of waste.
Additionally, some of the team members took the Certificate of Fitness exam and obtained a C-14 with the FDNY to work in the lab on their own. Students without a C-14 worked in the presence of those with certification.
Equipment Training
Before using any lab equipment for the first time, team members received proper training from qualified lab personnel in Kim Lab and Montclare Lab at NYU.
Project Specific Safety
Common chemicals used:
Ethanol:
All use of ethanol was kept away from flames and individuals wore proper lab attire during use.
Ethyl Acetate:
Ethyl Acetate is a highly flammable and toxic chemical that was only used under a fume hood.
Hydrochloric Acid:
HCl is a corrosive acid that was used with proper care.
Electrical Safety
Working with electrical components was common during the construction of our bioreactor. All of the electrical parts of the reactor were powered using a 12V or 5V DC source. There were no high voltage AC components in the reactor. Working with low voltage power is much safer.