As Theodor Reik said, ”In science, like in all life fields, a slogan is imposed: safety first.” A good experimental environment is the premise of the ideal experimental results. During the experiment, our team always followed the laboratory safety guidelines and carried out the experiment carefully and prudently.
Safety of Laboratory
The iDEC NEFU-China team is in full compliance with the safety and security policies of the iDEC competition.
Before beginning our wet lab work this summer, we were given a tour of lab and received training for general laboratory safety. The seniors in the lab showed us the location of protective goggles, first-aid kits and fire extinguishers, as well as emergency evacuation routes in case of a fire. In addition, we were instructed in proper waste disposal, and then we were introduced to the considerations of autoclave sterilization and specific methods of using special compounds.
When working in the lab, the first step for our iDEC members to follow basic safety protocols is to wear appropriate personal protective equipment. Wear lab goggles and nitrile gloves when conducting experiments with hazardous reagents. Although we are familiar with the work requirements and laboratory environment, when conducting new experiments or using new equipment, experienced members of the laboratory will demonstrate the correct use and provide supervision to ensure safety and correct execution.
Safety of Project
The two E.coli strains our team used to design are in biosafety level 1, including E.coli DH5a used for screening HMA-responsive PobR mutants, E.coli BL21 (DE3) used for HMA-responsive sensor-driven adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE). All two strains are the most common used chassis in the iDEC white list, and all of our members have been trained with basic rules to work with E. coli. We pay high attention to avoid any of our organisms escape from the lab, and even if organisms escape they cannot survive long without specific conditions.
Safety of Human Practice
In response to the national epidemic prevention policy, our team carefully planned the experiment time and controlled the flow of people in the laboratory. All members must wear masks in the laboratory. Meetings and interviews are mainly online, and the number of people attending lectures is strictly controlled to ensure everyone's personal safety.
