Re: [DIYbio] Re: How to advance a DIYBio lab beyond the basics.

HI Josiah, yes I did already get some stuff and kits from you and I applaud what you are doing, also kudos to Cathal because I now he was trying to do the same.  But thumbs down to the side trackers that want this discussion to be about safety in DIYBio labs. That is a totally separate discussion. necessary yes but not relevant here. Having been a physician for 40+ years I know plenty about labs and needles and allergies etc. But it is off target on this topic, which is to get feedback on ways  to encourage and advance DIYBio beyond the usual meeting where 10 people show up and only one or two at subsequent ones. So it is what we can all do in a practical sense (without being top academics) to enhance the "fun" and educational aspects of this subject that interests me. Quite happy to sit on a committee to discuss safety but not here. And yes I keep a first aid kit handy, it was already in my electronics lab. And you can buy needle disposal boxes and a local hospital will likely dispose of them, or a friendly medical clinic! I would also say that there was less danger at our DNA transformation seminar than at our weekly electronics teaching for kids where they dig around inside computers! But I digress as I am trying to point out.

On Saturday, January 14, 2017 at 9:20:57 AM UTC-8, ukitel wrote:

Already asking ourselves whether it makes sense to keep a first aid kit or a chemical spill kit instead of dismissing the possibility that some things could happen would be great.

Regarding allergens: I'm in germany. Working with fungi constitutes an S1* activity. Because some fungi can produce spores, which can cause severe allergy. This means that spaces where this can happen have to comply to all S1 requirements, plus they must have ensure air circulation.
That's how the law it's written. This means that here, if you are producing cheese, which might have mold growing on it then you must comply to S1* standards: such example is given in the appendix to the law concerning handling of biological material.

Now, is it exaggerated? I have no idea.


On Friday, 13 January 2017 23:09:33 UTC+1, John Griessen wrote:

On 01/11/2017 02:27 AM, ukitel wrote:
>
> But from your words it seems that for you the potential dangers are negligible, for me it isn't so and I think there's the need to
> talk about it. And I'm not alone: the sticky post in this google group is "ask a biosafety expert", because other biohackers
> recognize that too.
>
> Let's have an honest discussion

It's certainly good to talk about practical exposure levels that could cause allergy attacks.
Doctors that treat people have shock reactions to injected allergen treatments at a rate of 2 or 4 per thousand,
fluctuating monthly in that range, said one I know.  They make people stay for 20 minutes after injections
so remedies can be done easily if an attack happens.

What would be reasonable in a teaching biohackerspace?