Team: UIUC Illinos/Safety/Database

From 2013.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)
Line 9: Line 9:
<script>
<script>
   $(function() {
   $(function() {
-
     $( "#accordion" ).accordion({ active: 3 });
+
     $( "#accordion" ).accordion({ active: 4 });
     $( "#accordion" ).accordion({
     $( "#accordion" ).accordion({
       collapsible: true
       collapsible: true
Line 25: Line 25:
<div id="nav_bar" class="right">
<div id="nav_bar" class="right">
<div id="igem"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Main_Page"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2013/0/08/IGEM_Logo.png" width="141.467" height="114.8" alt="iGEM" class="right" /></a> </div>  
<div id="igem"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Main_Page"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2013/0/08/IGEM_Logo.png" width="141.467" height="114.8" alt="iGEM" class="right" /></a> </div>  
-
<div id="accordion" style="position: relative; top: 30px">
+
<div id="accordion">
   <h3>About</h3>
   <h3>About</h3>
   <ul>
   <ul>
Line 41: Line 41:
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Project/Results">Results</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Project/Results">Results</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinois/Notebook">Notebook</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinois/Notebook">Notebook</a></li>
 +
  </ul>
 +
  <h3>Medal Requirements</h3>
 +
  <ul>
 +
      <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team_UIUC_Illinois/Medal_Requirements">Medal Requirements</a></li>
   </ul>
   </ul>
   <h3>Human Practices</h3>
   <h3>Human Practices</h3>
Line 47: Line 51:
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Human_Practices/Outreach">Outreach</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Human_Practices/Outreach">Outreach</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Human_Practices/Ethics">Ethics</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Human_Practices/Ethics">Ethics</a></li>
-
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinos/Safety">Safety</a></li>
+
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Safety/Main">Safety</a></li>
   </ul>
   </ul>
   <h3>Safety</h3>
   <h3>Safety</h3>
   <ul>
   <ul>
-
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinos/Safety">Safety Main Page</a></li>
+
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois/Safety/Main">Safety Main Page</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinos/Safety/Forms">Safety Forms</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinos/Safety/Forms">Safety Forms</a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinos/Safety/Database"><u>EtBr Safety</u></a></li>
       <li style="margin-bottom:20px;"><a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:_UIUC_Illinos/Safety/Database"><u>EtBr Safety</u></a></li>
   </ul>
   </ul>
-
</div>
+
</div>
-
<a style="position: relative; top: -440px;" href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois">Home Page</a><br><a style="position: relative; top: -440px;" href="https://2013.igem.org/Team_UIUC_Illinois/Medal_Requirements">Medal Requirements</a>
+
<button style="width: 180px; height: 30px; text-align: left; -webkit-border-radius: 3px; border-radius: 3px;" onclick="window.location.href='https://2013.igem.org/Team:UIUC_Illinois'">Home Page</button>
   </div>
   </div>
<div id="container" class="left">   
<div id="container" class="left">   

Revision as of 22:55, 25 September 2013

Contact Us
UIUC iGEM
Smiling fox

Ethidium Bromide: the Classic, Carcinogenic Stain

Ethidium Bromide (EtBr) is the classic staining method for imaging gels and viewing bands of DNA. We can see our DNA because EtBr intercalates into the DNA structure and glows under UV light. However, because EtBr gets entangled in DNA, it is a dangerous carcinogen. This poses a major threat to lab safety, because once EtBr is diluted enough to use, it is clear and untraceable if someone becomes contaminated.

There are other, less carcinogenic options to DNA staining, but EtBr is the standard, cheapest staining method. While synthetic biology is being made more widely available, it is important that everyone have access to cost-effective safety practices. To aid the monetarily-challenged biologist, we designed a new safety practice technique for user of EtBr to be able to detect contamination: color it with food dye.

We have demonstrated that coloring diluted EtBr with food dye not only shows where traces of EtBr have been left, an extremely useful feature for all lab members, but especially for young scientists who are still learning about contamination.

Perhaps the most useful and important quality about our new safety practice is that is does NOT effect the imaging of the bands under UV light. Because of the cost-efficiency, ease of use, high fidelity, and pretty gels, we have been staining our lab's gels in food-colored EtBr.