Safety

MSDS + safety questions

4. Do the biological materials used in your lab work pose any of the following risks? Please describe. a. Risks to the safety and health of team members or others working in the lab?

In the project, we used Escherichia. coli K-12 MG1655 that belongs to Risk Group 1. The advisor has checked the GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) form to ensure that we have a good knowledge of the strain before using it. E. coli K-12 MG 1655 is the wild type of E. coli K-12 strains. Risk assessments of E. coli K-12 strains indicate that they are poor colonisers of human and animal gut, due to lack of cell wall components responsible for recognition and adhesion of gut cells (1). Meanwhile, the strains are unable to produce significant amount of toxin to cause diseases (2). However, it is possible for E. coli K-12 to colonise human gut, if normal human flora are substantially reduced (3).

In order to prevent infection, Imperial College London has standard health and safety rules. For example no eating or drinking in labs, wearing gloves when handling the lab apparatus, wearing lab coats at all times, disposal of contaminated and non-contaminated equipment into appropriate bins, and keeping the lab area organised and tidy. We have gone through safety training before starting the wet lab work, and we are aware of the locations of first aid facilities and emergency exits.

In addition, we have separated areas and entrances for wet and dry lab work, and the benches are cleaned before and after experiments. The team is also aware of the risks of using toxic reagents in the lab. The toxic chemicals and relating safety information are documented in (hyperlink).