Lab Practices In Biotechnology

·         Clinical labs.

·         Biotechnology labs.

·         Microbiology labs.

·         Bio engineering labs.

All of these labs are using preventive measures in order to protect from risks and out break.

The similarities among these labs are that they follow preventive measures and recommendations for prevention from any possible out break. The following are the international agencies that make rules and bio safety manuals for developing countries:

·         WHO.

·         FAQ.

·         OIE.

These agencies develop rules and proper bio safety manuals.

The lab staff that develop genetically modified organisms , they must follow the rules that are according to bio safety manuals as given by international agencies. There must be proper knowledge about the risks of any microbe and this information is necessary for prevention purpose.

There is also responsibility of authorities that they must provide necessary information about potential risks of microbes and preventive measures for these microbes. Proper awareness of lab staff is essential. There is need of special training in which topic should be pathogenic microbes and potential risks associated with these microbes.

There should be policy on immune control for lab staff and risk group 4 microbes are more hazardous and they are capable of causing hazardous diseases in infected humans. The microbes of risk group 3 and 4 are more dangerous so , the labs dealing with these microbes must use preventive measures as given in bio safety manual.

In the field of biotechnology and nano technology the most emerging advancement will be the formation of drugs for newly emerging and re-emerging diseases and also development of vaccine. There should be proper set up of labs and training of lab workers. The researchers should also learn lesson from past experiences so , that they can handle these in future.

If researchers don’t learn lesson from past than there is possibility that workers will create any miss handling and this will result in the transmission of pathogens from these infected lab workers to general public. It is the responsibility of lab workers that must handle pathogenic microbes with utmost care and if they got infected they must have to inform this to authorities so , that they can control the release of these pathogenic microbes.

As these lab associated diseases are causing serious harms to lab staff and also public and their control is necessary. These diseases may also be due to mistake of lab staff or they can accidentally harm lab staff and workers. The risk is greater for lab staff as they are directly exposed to these microbes and every exposure does not result in disease.

In order to protect from these risks the lab staff must have to follow bio safety manual and the rules being formulated by international authorities. The clinical labs are mostly involved in out breaks. The requirement of proper bio safety and bio security plans is necessary for these labs in order to protect lab staff from infectious diseases.

There should be strict implementation of these rules in all types of labs like virology , micro biology and clinical labs etc. The following rules must be followed:

·         Specific education of lab staff.

·         Proper training of staff.

·         Awareness of lab staff to the potential risks of microbes.

·         Assurance of safe environment for work.

·         Wearing of lab staff and personal protective equipment.

·         Biohazard symbols must be present on lab door.

·         Entry of just authorized persons must be allowed.

·         The entry of children and aged people must be prohibited because of weak immune system.

·         Animal houses must also be protected as there are chances of transmission of infectious agents from animals to humans.

·         There should be proper knowledge about wearing and removal of gloves.

·         In case of wearing gloves following things must be focused:

ü  Size.

ü  Type(small, extra small , medium , large , extra large).

Types of gloves:

Following are the types of gloves that must be used:

·         Latex gloves.

·         Nitrile gloves.

·         Heat resistant gloves.

·         Ultra low temperature resistant gloves.

Latex gloves:

In start these latex gloves were available and they were in use during lab work but to latex material , allergy issues were started and now these gloves are banned,

Nitrile gloves:

As latex gloves were causing allergy problems so after latex gloves these nitrile gloves are in use. These latex and nitrile gloves are diposable gloves.

Heat resistant gloves:

These heat resistant gloves are used in lab when we have to deal with any hot object. Like when we have to take any thing out of the oven or any thing out of autoclave than these heat resistant gloves are used to protect our hands from heat.

Ultra low temperature heat resistant gloves:

When we work in lab at very low temperature like -70C this temperature can damage our skin and in order to protect our skin these gloves are used.

·         Must wash your hands before and after performing experiments.

·         Avoid wearing PPE outside the lab.

·         Avoid wearing open shoes and high heels.

·         Avoid from lens , jewellary or any type of cosmetics.

·         Try to avoid from eating near cultures and also don’t store any food in lab fridge.

·         Aerosols are tiny air particles and infectious agents are laid on them and enter in the lab so , the agents that produce aerosols must not be allowed in lab.

·         The processes like centrifugation , stirring and sonication produces aerosols so , deal with these processes with great care.

·         Pippetting through mouth must be prohibited as through this process the toxic chemicals enter into our mouth and reach throat.

·         Label each glass jar by using glass tape.

·         Must use disposable syringes and after using them , properly dispose off them.

·         The needles and broken glasses are collectively known as sharps and these must be properly disposed off.

·         If you are working on open bench top than you must have to disinfect this area and after performing your experiment again disinfect it.

·         All contaminated materials must be properly disposed off or clean them for reuse.

·         Bio safety cabinets must be used especially in the labs of BSL3 and BSL4.

·         Some pipetting aid must be there like micro pipette and if you are using glass pipette than must use sucker.

·         Disposable transfer loops are used if we want to culture bacteria.

·         Use screw cap bottles or tubes.

·         Use autoclave for sterilization and its steam will kill the microbes by the denaturation of proteins of these microbes.

·         Training of lab staff is necessary and they must follow good lab practices and they also must be aware of the risks exposed to them.

·         The culture media , sharps and plastic materials must be disposed off in separate bins and in these bins packets of different colors are available.

·         If we are performing experiments on rats than there are chances of transmission of infectious material into our body.

·         Smear is culturing of bacteria on slide. If we add 2 drops of water on culture than smear is formed and this smear must be stained. Vigorous smearing can be dangerous.

·          Air of lab must passes through HEPA filters.

·         Room air must have to circulate bio safety cabinets.

These above mentioned steps must be followed while performing lab experiments.

Conclusion:

As in all labs all over the world , research work is in progress and most of this research work is on pathogenic microbes. There are chances of transmission of these microbes to public through infected lab staff as they are directly exposed to these pathogens. In order to protect lab staff and public the rules being formulated by higher authorities must be performed. These set of rules have been discussed in the above mentioned discussion. These set of rules are necessary for the health of lab staff and public. Training and proper awareness is also necessary. This awareness is related to potential risks associated with pathogenic microbes. In short , if we want to protect ourselves and others and also our environment than must follow these rules.