Basic Safety Training

We gained basic lab training during our iGEM club activity including introductions to different risk groups associated with microbiology. More detailed safety training was conducted in June prior to lab work during the month of July. This training involved more extensive safety measures including the safe use of an autoclave, and both chemical and bio waste disposal in accordance with the Shanghai municipal governments regulations and guidelines.

General Project safety information

Our project design involved working with a virus - Cyprinid herpesvirus 3. After completing the safety form, we identified that although it is not a virulence factor and there is no case of CyHV-3 in humans have been reported, as it is a contagious pathogen, we put in a check in form for the Cyprinid herpesvirus 3.

Before conducting any experiments, we developed a plan to ensure the safety of team members and the community by ensuring our school’s chemical and biowaste disposal company (Shanghai Tianhan Environmental Resource Co.) can provide service during the summer months and can dispose of our waste specific to the project. Although our project goal is to test our engineered live bacterial vaccines can illicit the immune response of Koi fish, due to local regulations and our lack of space in school to make sure the fish is in a controlled environment, we are not going to proceed any experiment inside school that work with Koi fish.

After learning of the risk status of the virus, we designed our wet lab portion of the project so that only the only cells used in cloning experiments are of level one risk level. These cells would be grown within our lab by the team members under teacher supervision and that our gene expression experiments would be carried out, not by student team members, but by our trained biology teachers. All wet lab work was restricted to our purpose built campus biotechnology laboratory (a non teaching lab). Entrance to this laboratory was strictly off limits to students under normal circumstances and access only strictly granted to iGEM team members under supervision of a teacher. iGEM summer work was covered under the school insurance policy after gaining a special licence to be called a “summer camp” meaning both teachers and students could work during the summer holidays under normal office hours rules and regulations. Risk assessment forms were completed in accordance with school and Shanghai Municipal Education Commission.

Safety Action

Trained professional staff performed higher risk lab work in accordance with our school rules. Again safe disposal of biowaste was conducted by our teachers according to the Shanghai municipal governments regulations and guidelines. See link for further information. All cell cultures were either autoclaved or treated with bleach to ensure safe disposal.