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Team:WarrenCentral WCC IN
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===Safety=== | ===Safety=== | ||
| - | + | Hazards: | |
| + | POSSIBLE DANGERS TO THE ENVIRONMENT | ||
| + | Mercury is a metal that occurs naturally at low levels in rock, soil and water. Mercury is also released into the air, water and land .Most mercury pollution is released into the air and then falls directly into water bodies or onto land, where it can be washed into waterways. When mercury gets into water, bacteria can change it into a form called methylmercury, which is absorbed by tiny aquatic organisms. When fresh water and ocean fish eat those organisms, the mercury begins to build up in their bodies. When larger fish eat smaller fish, mercury can build up to high levels in the tissues of the big fish. Because it binds to the protein in fish muscles - the 'meat' of the fish - mercury cannot be removed by cooking or cleaning the fish. | ||
| + | |||
| + | PERSONAL INJURY DANGERS | ||
| + | Although our parts have a very little chance of harming our team members, there is still that very slight chance that a problem may arise. One of the parts that we work with is mercury, which, if come in contact with the human skin, can cause great harm and in the worst case scenario, death. Therefore, we will use the proper laboratory technique to avoid any and all consequences. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Aseptic Technique: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Proper aseptic technique is essential to any lab experiment. It serves to create a barrier between microorganisms in the environment and the cell cultures that one is working with. Aseptic technique is comprised of four main components: good personal hygiene, a sterile work area, sterile reagents/media, and proper disposal/ clean up. | ||
| + | PERSONAL HYGIENE | ||
| + | • Be sure to wash hands your hands properly. | ||
| + | • Wear closed-toe shoes. | ||
| + | • Wear long pants that will cover your skin. | ||
| + | • If you have long hair, wear it up in a ponytail. | ||
| + | • Wear an apron/lab coat. | ||
| + | STERILE WORK AREA | ||
| + | • Choose an area to work in that is free from drafts and through traffic. | ||
| + | • Be sure the work area is uncluttered! | ||
| + | • Spread materials apart to keep from bumping things and to allow for proper air flow; keep things like pipets on the right/left hand side depending on which hand you use to hold it (If you’re right-handed, keep it on the right side). | ||
| + | • Clean lab table before the experiment! | ||
| + | • Use a 70% ethanol wash. | ||
| + | • CAUTION: Do not use ethanol in any area if a flame will be present, since it is highly flammable. | ||
| + | STERILE REAGENTS/MEDIA | ||
| + | • Wipe the outside of bottles, flasks, etc. with ethanol wash before placing them in the work environment. | ||
| + | • When opening a pipet, be sure not to let the tip touch anything. | ||
| + | • When opening bottles, don’t touch the inside of the cap; close back quickly!! | ||
| + | • Only use each pipet once! | ||
| + | PROPER DISPOSAL/CLEAN UP | ||
| + | • Wipe down all bottles/flasks again with ethanol once finished. | ||
| + | • Spray table with ethanol and wipe down once all materials are out of the work area. | ||
| + | • Contaminated waste goes in an autoclave bag! NOT THE TRASH CAN. | ||
| + | • If anything spills, mop it up immediately and then wipe with area with ethanol. | ||
| + | • Properly remove gloves. | ||
===Attributions=== | ===Attributions=== | ||
Revision as of 18:35, 22 March 2012
| You can write a background of your team here. Give us a background of your team, the members, etc. Or tell us more about something of your choosing. | File:WarrenCentral WCC IN logo.png |
|
Tell us more about your project. Give us background. Use this as the abstract of your project. Be descriptive but concise (1-2 paragraphs) |  Your team picture |
| Team WarrenCentral_WCC_IN |
| Official Team Profile |
|---|
Contents |
Team
Tell us about your team, your school!
Project
Exposure to mercury is a widespread problem that affects many people all over the world. Most people ingest mercury through water sources. Mercury in water can arise from runoff from farms, chemical and industrial plants, household products in the trash, and sewage. Three types of mercury can adversely affect humans. Elemental, inorganic, and methyl mercury can all harm humans if ingested. Inorganic mercury is the most common form in drinking water and can cause kidney damage if enough is taken in. Methyl mercury is found in fish and humans can be exposed if they eat too much mercury-containing fish. Mercury ingestion can cause both acute and chronic symptoms.
We are using Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast as a tool to detect mercury. In yeast, there are a number of transcription factors and genes that respond to oxidative stress and toxic metals. The yes associated protein (YAP) family is a family of transcription factors that is involved with oxidative stress regulation and redox homeostasis. They affect a number of genes, but we are focusing on GSH1 and GSH2. These genes are involved in the glutathione pathway. Glutathione is an antioxidant that protects the cell from oxidative stress.
In order to detect mercury, we are using several biological parts included in the BioBrick. The Kozak + mCherry translational unit is being used to give off a red fluorescent glow when the mercury is detected. In the plasmid, we will include the GSH2 promoter and the ADH1 terminator.
Notebook
Show us how you spent your days.
Results/Conclusions
What did you achieve over the course of your semester?
Safety
Hazards:
POSSIBLE DANGERS TO THE ENVIRONMENT Mercury is a metal that occurs naturally at low levels in rock, soil and water. Mercury is also released into the air, water and land .Most mercury pollution is released into the air and then falls directly into water bodies or onto land, where it can be washed into waterways. When mercury gets into water, bacteria can change it into a form called methylmercury, which is absorbed by tiny aquatic organisms. When fresh water and ocean fish eat those organisms, the mercury begins to build up in their bodies. When larger fish eat smaller fish, mercury can build up to high levels in the tissues of the big fish. Because it binds to the protein in fish muscles - the 'meat' of the fish - mercury cannot be removed by cooking or cleaning the fish.
PERSONAL INJURY DANGERS Although our parts have a very little chance of harming our team members, there is still that very slight chance that a problem may arise. One of the parts that we work with is mercury, which, if come in contact with the human skin, can cause great harm and in the worst case scenario, death. Therefore, we will use the proper laboratory technique to avoid any and all consequences.
Aseptic Technique:
Proper aseptic technique is essential to any lab experiment. It serves to create a barrier between microorganisms in the environment and the cell cultures that one is working with. Aseptic technique is comprised of four main components: good personal hygiene, a sterile work area, sterile reagents/media, and proper disposal/ clean up. PERSONAL HYGIENE • Be sure to wash hands your hands properly. • Wear closed-toe shoes. • Wear long pants that will cover your skin. • If you have long hair, wear it up in a ponytail. • Wear an apron/lab coat. STERILE WORK AREA • Choose an area to work in that is free from drafts and through traffic. • Be sure the work area is uncluttered! • Spread materials apart to keep from bumping things and to allow for proper air flow; keep things like pipets on the right/left hand side depending on which hand you use to hold it (If you’re right-handed, keep it on the right side). • Clean lab table before the experiment! • Use a 70% ethanol wash. • CAUTION: Do not use ethanol in any area if a flame will be present, since it is highly flammable. STERILE REAGENTS/MEDIA • Wipe the outside of bottles, flasks, etc. with ethanol wash before placing them in the work environment. • When opening a pipet, be sure not to let the tip touch anything. • When opening bottles, don’t touch the inside of the cap; close back quickly!! • Only use each pipet once! PROPER DISPOSAL/CLEAN UP • Wipe down all bottles/flasks again with ethanol once finished. • Spray table with ethanol and wipe down once all materials are out of the work area. • Contaminated waste goes in an autoclave bag! NOT THE TRASH CAN. • If anything spills, mop it up immediately and then wipe with area with ethanol. • Properly remove gloves.
Attributions
Who worked on what?
Human Practices
What impact does/will your project have on the public?
Fun!
What was your favorite team snack?? Have a picture of your team mascot?
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