How to Manage a Biotech Lab

1. How to Manage a Biotech Lab Ellyn Daugherty SM Biotech Career Pathway www.SMBiotech.com www.BiotechEd.com www.emcschool.com/biotechnology www.sargentwelch.com/biotech Ellyn@BiotechEd.com 650-400-9424

2. Setting up and Managing a Biotech Lab • Things to Consider: • Lay-out/Workflow/Storage • Lab Stations • Common Work Areas • Chemicals/Chemical Storage • Refrigerator/Freezer Storage • Student Sample Storage • Waste Disposal • Other Safety Issues • Inventory/Ordering • Managing Time • Other Issues

3. Facility Lay-out/Workflow/Storage • Consider student movement, bottlenecks, & time constraints • Set up at individual lab stations vs. common work areas, or vice versa • Replicate work areas - avoid long waits and “long distance” • Strategically placed tables, carts, deionized water, sinks • Gas/Bunsen burner placement (needed only in hoods) • Storage areas - immediate, short-term, and long-term

4. Lab Stations • Students work at lab station in pairs (lab partners) • 2 pairs at a lab station (lab table) • A minimum on the lab table • > 1 hot plate stirrer/lab station • > 1 spectrophotometer/lab station • > a trash bucket/lab station • > 1 (serological) pipet rack/table • > 1 micropipet stand/table • > a box of gloves/table • Strategic use of drawers and cabinets • > Small instrument drawer • (pipet pumps, micropipet tips, pen, tape, scissors, goggles, etc.) • > Student storage drawer • > Small equipment & reagent cabinet • (gel boxes, power supplies, large volumes of buffer, etc.)

5. Common Work Areas • In strategic locations – common work stations • > electronic & analytical weighing stations • > pH meter/pH adjustment station • > centrifuge station, UV spec station • > refrigerators and freezers (mini-?) • > gel staining and visualization station • > incubation ovens, water baths, • heat blocks, microwaves • > deionized water (dH20) • > autoclaves and drying ovens • > supply tables/supply carts • Hoods • > Laminar flow hoods vs. bio-safety cabinets • (for sterile work, protect user and samples) • > Chemical fume hoods • (for dispensing organics, caustics, flammables, noxious)

6. Chemicals & Chemical Storage • Chemicals must be stored probably to protect user and reagents • Most districts have specific policies for chemical storage (find out about yours) • Chemical storeroom/chemical cabinet for “general safe” chemicals = green labels • Flammables cabinet for alcohols, etc • = red labels • Oxidizers/corrosivescabinet for bases, acids, peroxides = yellowand whitelabels • Toxics cabinet (locked) for EtBr = blue labels • Chemical fume hood (built in vs portable) • Gloves (latex vs. nitrile vs. others) and goggles • See www.scholarchemistry.com for much more information on chemical safety

7. Refrigerator/Freezer Storage • Most samples are labeled with storage temp • Virtually all protein, DNA, and cell samples must be stored at 4°C (refrig) or at -20°C (lab freezer) • > Store lyophilized (powdered) protein or DNA samples at -20°C, unless otherwise labeled • > Store protein samples alphabetically • > Record the date on reagents upon arrival, then record when the sample is first opened • > Certain cell lines must be stored at -70°C or below or lose competence or viability • Do not use defrosting (cycling) refrigerator/freezers • Repeated freezing/thawing compromises most samples (aliquot samples on receipt into more usable volumes) • If possible, have designated refrigerators and freezers for different courses

8. Student Sample Storage • Room Temp Storage • > chemicals, many buffers • Refrigerator/Cooler (4°C) Storage • > most protein or DNA student samples • Freezer (-20°C) Storage • > some protein or DNA student samples • > glycerol stock/cell samples for IR (?) • (some required -80°) • The more you can separate student samples the more time is saved • > Consider separate lab refrigerators and freezers (4.0 cu ft models) or different shelves in large volume coolers or freezers

9. Waste Disposal • Most districts have specific policies for waste disposal (find out about yours) • Most hazardous waste must be collected and disposed of by professionals • Need biohazard bags for biological hazards = plates (no sharp items), fill only ½ full • Autoclave bio-contaminated items 15-20 mins @15-20 psi before trash • Bio-contaminated loops and tubes can be soaked in 10% bleach for 30 min before regular trash • Many chemicals may not go down drain (see district rules), ie. CuSO4, silver nitrate, EtBr?, etc • Label waste with type/concentration/date

10. Other Safety Issues • Gloves and goggles at every lab station and workstation, for all chem work • No gloves for work with Bunsen burner or microwave (burn hazard). Explore silicon gloves. • Use hot hand protectors or lab mitts for hot bottles/beakers • Disinfectants at each hood (1x Lysol® or Amphyl®), where bacteria is used • Use of 10% bleach or 70% EtOH, where plant tissues are used • Use of lid-locks for 1.7 mL tubes and hot heat blocks • Safety shower, eyewash • Broken glass cartons, fire extinguisher at several places

11. Inventory/Ordering • Keep a record (Excel® spreadsheet with vendor, manufacturer, description, package size, part number, etc.) of all materials used and received. • Use inventory sheets to help • keep areas clean and organized • Assign student groups the responsibility to maintain/inventory a particular area • > Chem Stockroom A-G > Weigh Stations • > “Darwin” Refrigerator > “Watson”, “Crick” Freezers • Have inventory sheets at each lab station and require inventory sign-off at the beginning and end of class (Biotech Live Ch 3) • Have a place that students can record when a “last bottle” is ½ full (use to amend orders) • Make time for inventory and lab station/workplace maintenance

12. Managing Time • Decide what is really important for YOU to do • > what things should you really grade and how should you grade them • > what task others can do for you (students, administrators, committee members) • > how many jobs do you actually have (teaching, coaching, dept chair, etc.) • Start learning some of the faster, better, cheaper ways of doing some of the lab techniques. • > faster agarose gels (LB buffer system) • > faster protein PAGE gels (UV-gel system) • > DNA visualization dye in the loading dye • > faster restriction digestion enzymes • > using high-efficiency competent cells • for transformation • Start thinking like a CEO (of your biotech company)

13. Other Issues • Computers – keep them away from chemicals and water • Not enough space – portable items? • Alphabetized small items drawers or containers • Cable-lock down balances, computers • Designated hand-washing sinks? • Lots of paper towels used • Crushed ice needed/preferred • Post emergency numbers • Biotech teacher “in charge” of facility • Keep getting professional development • Network with other biotech educators • and ask them questions • (especially about new methods, techniques, equipment)

14. Other Issues – Getting the Support You Need • Financial • Books, Lab Manuals, CDs, etc. • Equipment/Supplies (Grants, Donations, Giveaways, Bio-Link Depot, • BABEC, Partnerships, etc.) • Computers • Release Time • Curriculum/Professional Development • Books, Lab Manuals, CDs, etc. • Workshops and Conferences • Moral • Reasonable expectations from Admin • From Counseling, Clerical, and Admin • Designated Classroom • Reasonable amount of Preps • Reasonable amount of Students • Reasonable Budget

15. Get even more help! Ellyn Daugherty SM Biotech Career Pathway www.SMBiotech.com www.BiotechEd.com www.emcschool.com/biotechnology www.sargentwelch.com/biotech Ellyn@BiotechEd.com