Team:TPHS San Diego/Safety
Breakdown of Trimethylamine via Trimethylamine Dehydrogenase to Minimize Heart Disease Caused by Red Meat Consumption
Safety:
Safety was of paramount importance in our lab. At all times, team members were required to wear lab coats, closed toed shoes, and eye protection when working with toxic materials. Any long hair was to be tied back during lab procedures. In terms of materials, E. Coli is our only biohazard. Personal liability is extremely low besides direct ingestion, which can result in mild gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea. The probability of E. Coli spreading into the wider environment is low as a result of the small sample and stringent lab protocols. In terms of chassis, we are using TOP10 and DH5a E.coli bacteria, which pose little threat. While our chassis breakdown can create harmful materials including formic acid, strict care and waste disposal methods prevent harm among team members or the environment.
Besides biological hazards, we did work with a few chemicals that are considered toxic or potentially harmful (such as formaldehyde and Basic Fuchsin). While handing these chemicals we always worked in a chemical fume hood and took extra precautions while handling the substances. We also were always under the supervision of a mentor while working with these toxic materials.
Figure 1. Proper vs. Improper PPE to wear when working with toxic chemicals in the lab
