Biosafety Training

When entering or leaving the laboratory, you must wear a laboratory coat and also bring a mask and gloves. We are all equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), including lab coats, masks, and gloves.

Before entering the laboratory, all members participating in wet lab work are required to locate the emergency eyewash station and understand how to use it properly.

Before starting the experiment, we first familiarize ourselves with the usage rules of the experimental instruments, such as the program settings for PCR, the correct method of using the pipette gun, and the operating guidelines for the ultra-clean bench.

Fig. 1 The use of the centrifuge follows balance safety rules.

Biosafety facilities

Fig. 2 First Aid Kit Device

There is first aid kits placed at the entrance of each laboratory, containing:

• Medical alcohol: 1 bottle, for disinfecting wounds
• Hydrogen peroxide solution: 1 bottle, for cleaning wounds
• 0.9% Saline solution: 1 bottle, for cleaning wounds
• Sterile cotton: 2 packs, for cleaning wounds
• Bandages: 2 rolls, for bandaging wounds
• Scissors: 1 piece, for emergency operations
• Forceps: 1 piece, for emergency operations

Chemical Reagent Safety Cabinet

In the laboratory, we use dedicated reagent safety cabinets, and professional management personnel oversee the unified management of hazardous chemicals to prevent accidental leaks and ensure the safe operation of the laboratory.

Fig. 3 Hazardous Chemical Reagent Safety Cabinet Facilities

The laboratory emergency shower is an emergency device that can be quickly activated in case of chemical spills or when personnel are contaminated by hazardous substances. It promptly rinses the affected areas to reduce injury and harm.

Fig. 4 Emergency sprinkler system

Fire prevention measure

We conducted a fire drill on July 13th. This helped us become familiar with the escape routes and enabled us to protect ourselves in case of emergencies such as fires. At the entrance of each laboratory, there are fire prevention measures in place, including fire alarms and fire extinguishers, which help us know about the approaching fire and evacuate in time.

Fig. 5 Fire safety facilities

Safety Instructions for Experimental Strains

The strain selected for the experiments in this project is the E. coli DH5 alpha, whose safety has been fully verified. The specific instructions are as follows:

. Non-pathogenic: The strain does not carry virulence genes, cannot

produce toxins and lacks the ability to invade host cells. It will not cause

infections or diseases in humans, animals, or plants, posing no threat to the safety of laboratory personnel and surrounding organisms.

. High operational safety: As a conventional host strain in the field of genetic engineering, its safety has been widely confirmed through practice.

Laboratory operations only need to comply with basic biosafety

management requirements (such as BSL-1 level), without the need for special protective measures, and the risk is highly controllable.

In summary, the biological characteristics and application background of the E. coli DH5 alpha strain all indicate that its risk is extremely low. It meets the safety operation standards of this project and can be safely used as an experimental strain.

For yeast:

If there isn’t enough nutrition, yeast may produce spores. We have been trained to handle our samples carefully by creating adequate environments for storing, transferring, and using them.

The laboratory is equipped with biosafety cabinets that prevent the release of aerosols containing hazardous or unknown biological particles during experimental operations.