Team:Shanghai-United/Safety

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Safety

General Lab Safety

Lab safety can never be over-emphasized in our team. The very first lab activity we held was lab safety training. Not only did we learn the rules and the right ways to operate different equipments, but every one of us got our hands on and practiced using them under the guide of our instructor. Throughout our experiment, we have been practicing lab safety rules and starting to perform them habitually. For instance, during the first few days, we often forgot to remove our gloves when reaching for our phones in our pockets, while one week in the program, removing gloves before touching personal item has become a natural reaction.

Furthermore, we did our best to keep the hygiene of our experiment environment. Separate groups were responsible for different experiments, so we might avoid crowdedness and boost efficiency. Each group was also responsible for cleaning up the space used, placing every single thing back in the designated place.

Project Specific Lab Safety

HeLa Cells(left), DH5-Alpha(right)
In our project, we are using HeLa Cells, which are a well documented line of cells that the team has been trained to handle properly. We are also using DH5-Alpha Competent Cells, which are engineered E.coli in order to maximize transformation efficiency. E.coli does not pose a danger to researchers, community, or the environment as it has been extensively documented through various research. Furthermore, proposed modifications that are being made to these organisms do not pose a threat to any of the team members involved. Safety processes (proper PPE: gloves, lab coats, safety glasses, face masks) will be undertaken to ensure exposure risks are minimal.