Basic Facilities and Equipment
All the experiments of our team were conducted in the iGEM laboratory at the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, under the requirements of the “Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Biosafety in Pathogenic Microorganism Laboratories” [supplement link 1] and the “Safety Code for Laboratories in Higher Educational Institutions” [supplement link 2]. Our laboratory is classified as a BSL-II one, and is well-organized with clearly partitioned layout, which further ensures the safety and practicality.
The main safety facilities in our laboratories has been listed as below:
● Bio-safety cabinet
● Ultra-clean bench
● Chemical fume hood
● Emergency equipment (including firefighting equipment and first aid equipment)
● Emergency lighting
Figure 1. Laboratory Equipment
Basic Waste Disposal
Waste disposal is a crucial part of the laboratory safety precautions. Our disposal measures include but are not limited to:
● All experimental waste is to be collected and sorted in a timely manner.
● Waste exposed to microorganisms is to be strictly sterilized indoor before collection.
● A duty roster has been set up to assign specific persons the daily waste disposal.
● Before final disposal, reinspection is to be made in order to verify that the waste is non-toxic and correctly sorted.
Basic Laboratory Safety Rules
Participants in our laboratory strictly adheres to the “Laboratory Biosafety Manual, Fourth Edition” [supplement link 3], “Compilation of Safety Management System of Tianjin University School of Chemical Engineering” [supplement link 4], and “Tianjin Guidelines for Scientist's Biosafety Code of Conduct” [supplement link 5], which stipulate the requirements for the proper operation of experimental instruments, the proper use of chemicals, the protection clothing and the disposal of experimental waste, etc., to ensure the personal safety of our team members.
Additionally, to further standardize the operation before, during and after the experiments, we have established a clear and strict Laboratory Safety Code, which includes but is not limited to:
Experimental operations:
● Experimental operations in the laboratory must be carried out in accordance with the established norms, and illegal operation is strictly prohibited.
● All instruments and equipment should be maintained regularly and restored to the original conditions and positions after use. All reagents should be labeled with names, checked regularly, and replaced if necessary. The usage and storage of all reagents must be in accordance with relevant regulations.
● The laboratory should be maintained in a sanitary condition, with waste disposed in time.
Dress code:
● A lab coat is required upon entering the laboratory to minimize bare skin exposure.
● When conducting experiments that may pose a hazard, additional personal protective equipment (e.g., safety goggles, face masks, and protective gloves) must be worn as appropriate.
● All personal protective equipment should be removed before leaving the laboratory.
Emergency measures:
● Before starting work, the location of fire-fighting equipment, electrical switches, emergency evacuation routes and other emergency facilities must be made clear. Participants must be familiar with all types of emergency measures and corresponding operating procedures.
Behavioral restraints:
● Smoking, eating or sleeping in the laboratory are strictly prohibited.
Basic Laboratory Personnel Training
Before the formal startup of our project, all team members had passed the “Laboratory Safety Training” and “Laboratory Safety Entrance Study and Examination” tests conducted by the School of Chemical Engineering and Technology of Tianjin University, which include knowledge of laboratory procedures, emergency management and chemical handling.
Figure 2. Cell Safety Examination
Given that some of the team members were lack of practical experience in biological experiments, when our project initially started, the majority of experiments are conducted by those experienced members, most of whom had taken part in either the former iGEM competition or other research projects in our university, and thus had been trained to meet the requirements of performing experiments independently. Novices were asked to familiarize themselves with the standardized procedures in experimental protocols, and record details that may have an impact on safety, the final results or the lifespan of the instruments.
During the first few times one performing experiments, experienced members would observe on the sideline in order to point out wrong operation and prevent potential safety accidents. As the project was gradually carried out, nearly all participants of wet experiments have acquired a high degree of safety awareness as well as profound understanding of the principles behind the gene editing tools used. All team members were encouraged to attend safety training and seminars regularly to further enrich their safety knowledge.
