Prior to initiating any experiments, our instructors provided comprehensive safety training. Upon entering the laboratory, it is mandatory to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including lab coats, gloves, masks, and designated shoes. These measures are essential and must never be neglected.
Fig. 1 Personal protective measures.
If it becomes necessary to leave the laboratory, lab coats must be removed to prevent potential contamination of external environments by biological materials—for instance, avoiding the spread of airborne bacteria adhered to the coats. Safety goggles must be worn to protect against chemical splashes entering the eyes. Eating and drinking are strictly prohibited in the laboratory to minimize the risk of contamination.
Before commencing work, hands must be disinfected with alcohol. When working on the clean bench, an alcohol lamp should be lit, and the ventilation system must be turned on. When using a centrifuge, tubes must be balanced symmetrically to ensure safe operation.
Fig. 2 Proper use of centrifuges.
The autoclave must only be operated by trained personnel. After completing experiments, all equipment—including the microwave oven and autoclave—must be properly shut down.
All work areas must be maintained clean and tidy. Spills should be cleaned up immediately. Waste must be disposed of in accordance with established protocols: hazardous materials must never be poured down the drain or placed in regular trash, but instead discarded following specific guidelines.
In case of a lab coat catching fire, the emergency shower should be activated immediately. If chemicals splash into the eyes, proceed promptly to the eye wash station and rinse thoroughly. For fire emergencies, use a fire extinguisher; if the fire persists, contact emergency services by calling 119.
Fig. 3 Laboratory shower facilities and fire extinguishing equipment
When performing laboratory procedures, strict adherence to safety protocols is essential. During PCR amplification using a thermocycler, ensure all tubes are securely sealed, balanced symmetrically in the block, and handle the heated lid with care to prevent burns.
For agarose gel electrophoresis, always verify correct gel orientation (wells toward the negative electrode), maintain adequate buffer coverage, and never adjust the system or open the lid while the power supply is active due to high voltage operation.
When using nucleic acid stains such as GelRed, wear gloves and dispose of stained gels in designated chemical waste containers. During centrifugation steps, tubes must be perfectly balanced and sealed to prevent aerosol release or rotor damage, and the lid should not be opened until the rotor has come to a complete stop.
Acrylamide, utilized in SDS-PAGE, is a neurotoxin and must be handled in a fume hood with gloves to avoid skin contact.
When visualizing gels with blue-light or UV transilluminators, always wear protective goggles or use the safety shield to prevent eye damage.
If electroporation is performed, use fully dry cuvettes and appropriate voltage settings to avoid arcing.
During fluorescence microscopy, protective barriers or laser-safe eyewear are required to shield against intense light.
Finally, when operating an autoclave, load materials in loosely capped containers and wear heat-resistant gloves and a face shield during unloading to prevent steam-related injuries.
Fig. 4 Properly use the electrophoresis apparatus and centrifuge
Our team members received basic knowledge training on synthetic biology and biosafety, including the principles of genetic engineering, the fundamentals of microbiology, and the importance of biosafety. Through practical operation demonstrations and exercises, team members learned techniques of gene recombination, microbial culture and molecular biology experiments, ensuring the accuracy and safety of the experimental operations.
When making the experimental operation, team members must wear lab coats, personal protective equipment such as gloves, masks, to prevent direct contact with a potential biological hazards. During the experimental operation, strictly follow aseptic operation techniques, use biosafety cabinets for microbiological operations, and avoid cross-contamination.
In this project, we selected Escherichia coli as the host strain and two different hydrophobic proteins, phasin and ADF3. All the used culture media, bacterial solutions and disposable plastic products were classified and treated in accordance with the laboratory biosafety regulations to ensure the safety of experimental materials and environmental sustainability.
We conducted all the operations involving microorganisms in a clean bench to prevent contamination from airborne microorganisms. We also learned how to properly handle and dispose of biohazardous materials, such as E. coli and agar plates, to prevent accidental leakage and environmental pollution.
PHA microbeads with tunable particle sizes represent a sustainable ingredient characterized by demonstrated safety profiles, which are underpinned by their inherent biological properties and compliant manufacturing standards.
Produced through microbial fermentation, these microbeads exhibit excellent biodegradability. They undergo complete degradation in both marine and terrestrial environments, with full breakdown in seawater achieved within 3–6 months. This process leaves behind no microplastic residues, thereby minimizing or eliminating adverse effects on ecosystems. Their biocompatibility and non-toxic nature ensure mild and non-irritating performance in human applications, making them particularly suitable for cosmetic formulations.
The production process employs synthetic biology techniques for the programmable design of engineered strains, enabling precise control over microbead size to accommodate diverse product requirements and ensure consistent quality. Moreover, PHA is synthesized entirely through microbial fermentation—an environmentally friendly process that avoids the introduction of harmful chemicals.
From a regulatory standpoint, PHA microbeads align with relevant environmental and cosmetic industry regulations. They serve as a viable alternative to conventional plastic microbeads in personal care products, complying with China’s National Development and Reform Commission on the production and sale of cosmetics containing plastic microbeads, as well as EU restrictions on microplastics in cosmetics. This compliance supports cosmetic companies in meeting international market access standards.
- Activity safety
- Personal Privacy Safety
When conducting the oral DNA extraction practical activity for middle school students, we provided safety training to the participants and assigned experienced laboratory teachers to guide them, ensuring the safety of the activity. All DNA samples were only used for on-site teaching demonstrations and were not retained or subjected to any form of secondary analysis.
When conducting online and offline expert interviews, ensuring the security of personal privacy is the core ethical principle. Before the start of the activity, we clearly agreed with the experts on the scope, purpose, duration of the use of their portraits (including images and videos), as well as whether post-editing was allowed. At the same time, the public level of the experts' viewpoints and information shared was defined, specifying which content could be publicly cited and which could only be used as background information or for internal research. All interview materials were finally reviewed and confirmed with the experts before use.
GETINO L, MARTíN J L, CHAMIZO-AMPUDIA A. A Review of Polyhydroxyalkanoates: Characterization, Production, and Application from Waste [J]. Microorganisms, 2024, 12(10).
