Safety and Security

Project Safety

Our project aims to combat the issue of plastic pollution by breaking down Polyhydroxybutyrate or PHB microplastics present in landfills, the ocean, cities, etc. Though PHB plastics are biodegradable, they require specific conditions to do so (Jihyeon et al.) Therefore, in most cases PHB barely biodegrades, causing it to be just as harmful to the environment as non-biodegradable plastic. By engineering a non-pathogenic chassis organism, Alteromonas, we are able to degrade these plastics without the need for these specific conditions.

Lab Safety

Before participating in experimental work, all members of the wet lab group were required to attend a lab Safety Orientation at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) and complete an online training on Biological and Chemical Safety, as well as Injury and Illness Prevention in the lab. When working in the laboratory, all students are under constant supervision by our mentor and make sure to practice all necessary safety precautions provided by JCVI policy. Additionally, since our team works only with non-pathogenic organisms approved by the White List, the lab work is carried out in a Level 1 Biosafety Laboratory.

Our team followed the following procedures below in order to maintain proper lab safety and minimize risk of injury:

Proper Lab Attire - closed toed shoes, long pants and no loose clothing that can get caught in equipment, hair tied back, no dangling jewelry, wearing gloves when handling biological or hazardous materials (or to prevent contamination of samples or reagents)

No eating or drinking in the lab

Disposal of all biological wastes in the biological wastes container

Checking for cracks or chips in glassware or equipment

Keeping walkways clear of tripping hazards such as backpacks or chairs

Storing ongoing experiments in proper places with correct labels to prevent contamination

Keeping the lab neat and clean - throwing away trash in appropriate containers, returning supplies to designated areas and clearing tabletop

Disinfecting work station both before and after each session

Hazardous Reagents

Some experiments required the usage of harmful reagents, such as antibiotics and QIAprep Spin Miniprep Kit. Additionally, our team worked with cloning-compatible strains of Escherichia coli. In these cases, our team made sure to follow the safety standards, guidelines, and policies proved by the J. Craig Venter Institute, iGEM HQ, and product suppliers.

Citations:

Kim, Jihyeon et al. “Biodegradation Studies of Polyhydroxybutyrate and Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-Polyhydroxyvalerate Films in Soil.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 24,8 7638. 21 Apr. 2023, doi:10.3390/ijms24087638