Team:Wash U/Safety

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Safety

There is risk associated with almost any laboratory experiment, especially when working with live biological agents. However, our team has gone to great lengths to minimize the risk posed to the researcher, the public, and the environment. Overall, our project can be considered low risk since the finished product is not intended to come in contact with humans in any form. Our E. coli and Rhodobacter sphaeroides cultures should only be grown and tested in a bioreactor with proper laboratory safety technique. Even in the event that either strain was ingested, its is very likely that no harm would occur since the bacteria are not able to survive the environment of the human digestive system. The two major safety concerns associated with our project arise during DNA purification using gel electrophoresis and extraction of PCB from spirulina powder.

Gel electrophoresis is necessary to purify DNA for almost all steps of our project. To make DNA visible as it moves through the agarose gel, Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) is added to the gel to act as a fluorescent tag. Ethidium Bromide itself is a potent mutagen and a known carcinogen that may be absorbed through the skin. For this reason, a separate lab bench has been set aside for all items coming into contact with the toxin including pipets, tips, gel rigs, glassware, and DC power sources (for electrophoresis). In addition there is a vessel designated as contaminated where all disposables (i.e. pipet tips) maybe deposited and properly disposed of at a later date. It is important that all items coming in contact with EtBr remain on the EtBr lab bench and all noncontaminated lab materials are not brought to this bench. Nitrile gloves must be worn when handling EtBr and replaced frequently, especially when going back and forth from this bench to another one.


2008 Safety Outline:

  • Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of:
  1. Researcher safety
  2. Public safety
  3. Environmental safety
  • Is there a local biosafety group, committee or review board at Washington University in St. Louis?
All research conducted at Washington University (medical school and main campus) is under the supervision of the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR). This office is responsible for all concerns pertaining to research and publications produced by the university. Among other things, our lab must comply with the Environmental Health and Safety Policy and Procedures laid out by the OVCR. Furthermore, every team member has completed an Annual Regulatory and Safety Review for Laboratory Personnel offered by the Environmental Health and Safety committee at Washington University. To view the full list of Environmental Health and Safety Policies and Prcedures, please click [http://ehs.wustl.edu/new/safetycommittee.htm here].
  • What does this review board think about the safety of our project?
  • Do our new BioBricks (ones that we have created) raise any safety concerns?
  1. If yes did we document them with the Registry?

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Ethics

  • Ethical issues of Synthetic Biology in general
  • State the few concerns that there are concerning our project

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Future

  • What we tried to do?
  1. What actually happened?
  • Ways to improve, redo parts of our experiment differently
  • What further should be done to our end product to further its development, related back to what we initially tried to do?
  • What are possible biofuel applications and how could our system be used to improve existing biofuels?

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