How to Manage a Biotech Lab

Ellyn DaughertySM Biotech Career Pathway

www.SMBiotech.com

www.BiotechEd.comwww.emcschool.com/biotechnology

www.sargentwelch.com/biotech

Ellyn@BiotechEd.com

650-400-9424

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

Setting up and Managing a Biotech Lab

• 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

Facility Lay-out/Workflow/Storage

• 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.)

Lab Stations

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)

Chemicals & Chemical Storage

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

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

• 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

Waste Disposal

• 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

Other Safety Issues

• 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

Inventory/Ordering

• 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)

Managing Time

• 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)

Other Issues

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

Get even more help!

Ellyn DaughertySM Biotech Career Pathway

www.SMBiotech.com

www.BiotechEd.com

www.emcschool.com/biotechnology

www.sargentwelch.com/biotech

Ellyn@BiotechEd.com