Biology Laboratories

Access to both bio labs is restricted. Please contact the ISIS BioLabs manager Ludmila Mee  or your local contact to arrange for an induction. You induction will be valid for 3 years.

To get a refresher:

ISIS users: please contact BioLab manager Ludmila Mee (Ludmila.Mee@stfc.ac.uk) to arrange induction on your next visit.

Staff members: please read induction policy document and confirm that you have done so by emailing to ISISACCESSREQUESTS@stfc.ac.uk, ISISDOSIMETRYOFFICE@stfc.ac.uk, and Ludmila.Mee@stfc.ac.uk.

The access will be re-issued on the receipt of your email for another 3 years.​

Equipment B​ooking

Please book equipment using IdeaELAN. Please note, ISIS IdeaELAN is different from the one that is used by RCaH users.​

Before the start of any work in the ISIS Biolabs it must be suitably risk assessed (under COSHH) either in your Experimental Risk Assessment (ERA) for a beam time experiment or separately for a non-beam time experiment. Please contact the ISIS Sample Safety Team​ if you need more information or risk assessment templates.

In addition, any work with live samples (whether cells, viruses, bacteria or others), or with samples ​that might be contaminated with adventitious agents (blood, solid tissues or other) at ISIS BioLabs must be accompanied by completed and approved BioCOSHH RA.

Guidance on completion of risk assessment for biological activity (pdf)

Template for a risk assessment for Biological Activity (word document)

Please get in touch with the Biolab manager at your earliest convenience. The process of assessing your samples and protocols and creating all relevant documentation might take up to 3 weeks.

Please familiarise yourself with the Site safety handbook (pdf) before starting your work in the BioLabs. This also covers Diamond, CLF, RFI and RCaH.

​​​Lone Working

Lone working permission will be granted by the lab manager after reviewing the risk assessments and ensuring that suitable measures are in place. Please speak to the ISIS Sample Safety Team​​​ well in advance to organise this.

Local laboratory rules

• Access is strictly restricted. Users will be given access after induction and appropriate training by the Bio lab team. Please do not allow anyone to tailgate you.
• Safety goggles are compulsory.
• Lab coats are compulsory with exemption (see below). The light blue labcoats are for general lab activities, the dark blue labcoats are for working with live cultures.
• Wash your hands before leaving the lab.

The only exemption from wearing labcoat is when you are:

• wearing your designated work clothes
• and not doing any experiments
• and spending less than 15 minutes in the lab

for example, brief visits from Estates, Health Physics, or Andy’s crew.

• Eating, chewing, drinking, smoking, storing food and medicines and mouth pipetting are forbidden.
• Always follow good laboratory practices (GLP) and keep your workspace and the lab clean and tidy.
• Do not use any instruments that you are not trained on, especially Sonicator, Centrifuge, Autoclave, QCMD, FT-IR, and AKTA FPLC. There is a booking system to reserve instruments.
• The information on the specific waste routes can be found in the site biological safety handbook located by the entrance to each lab. The vast majority of the waste generated in the lab can be disposed of by placing into large yellow clinical waste bin. Use the general waste black bin by the sink for hand towels and packaging only.
• Please remember to wash your hands before leaving the lab.

Hazards in the laboratory – laboratory Risk Assessment poster on the wall and in the link below

• Biohazards – R80 (TS2) Bio lab is certified as containment level 2 lab. There might be users working with live organisms, however, the risk of contamination or infection to the lab users is negligible. Please use the ISIS Biosample chart to identify whether BioCOSHH RA, ethics approval or any form of licensing is required before your work.
• High Frequency Sound. All ultrasonicators in multiuser labs must only be used within sound enclosure. You must ensure that the enclosure is closed and locked while sample is sonicating.
• UV radiation. The BioDoc-IT system in R80 Bio Lab and transilluminator box in the dark room of R55 Bio Lab are sources of UV light. Please wear eye protection when using both machines. Other users are encouraged to avoid the area when UV light is on.
• Electrical and Chemical – please be aware of the electrical and chemical hazards in the lab.

Location of safety information

• There is a general lab risk assessment which can be found on the notice board outside the lab in R80 and R55. Please read it before starting any work.
• Each kit/instrument has been assessed for any possible risk of hazards and measures have been taken to reduce the risk. You can find the risk assessments attached to or in the near vicinity of each instrument. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with the risks and follow all appropriate actions mentioned in the risk assessments for your own safety and safety of other users and staff.

Booking Process

• All equipment has to be pre-booked using IdeaELAN.

Reporting Process

• Accidents/Incidents/Near misses – Please inform the Bio Lab Manager and/or the ISIS support team regarding any incidents or accidents and near misses that happen in the Bio Labs. They will ensure that this is reported and further procedures are followed.
• Chemicals/ lab supplies/Deliveries – We have some general chemicals, solvents and consumables in stock for the users. Please report if stocks are low to either Sarah Langham or Ludmila Mee. If you would like to order any chemicals required for your experiments, delivered to ISIS, please make sure that they are marked for Sarah Langham’s attention. If possible, address them to R80, office 2.06.

Site biological safety handbook

• Please read “Site Safety Handbook – biological laboratories and beamlines”.
• The physical copy of the book can be found on the board by the entrance to Bio Lab. The book will give you information regarding our policy, GMP and GLP containment levels 1&2, PPE, working on beam lines, storage of biological materials, and exposure to biological agents, etc.

ISIS biological disinfection policy and arrangements

• For cleaning small spills and your work area use either Virkon S (1% w/v) in distilled water or 70% Ethanol. Spray the area, leave for 5 min, wipe down with paper towels, and dispose into clinical waste bins.
• The liquid bacterial cultures should be treated with Virkon (either 1-2% solution or powder, ensure that the colour of resulting mixture is pink) and left overnight. You can then dispose of them down the sink with plenty of running water.
• Treat the large spills directly with powder, leave for a minimum of 1 h, mop up with paper towels and dispose in clinical waste bins.
• Please remember to report any spillages/incidents/accidents to the Bio Lab manger.
• Please remember that Virkon S has corrosive properties and should not be used on metals, or its contact with metals should be minimised.

ISIS biological waste disposal policy and arrangements

• Use the clinical yellow waste bins to dispose of any solid waste, including gloves and paper.
• All CL2 tissue culture laboratory waste should be autoclaved at the correct validated cycle before disposing of as non-hazardous offensive waste in “tiger bags”
• CL2 tissue culture waste can be disposed off into clinical waste bins without any form of pre-treatment, but this waste route should be avoided as significantly more costly and less safe for the users of the BioLab than the autoclave method.
• Please speak to the Bio Lab Manager or a member of the ISIS support team if you are unsure of a disposal procedure.

CL2 microbiological work

• Please discuss your culturing needs with the Bio lab manager

Emergency contacts

• ISIS Main control room x6789 or 01235 446789
• ISIS Senior Laboratory Technician Sarah Langham x7059 or 077775757726

• ISIS Biology Laboratory Manager Ludmila Mee x6490 or 07749401114
• ISIS Support Laboratories Manager Sarah Youngs x6033 or 07827807499

IN CASE OF CRITICAL EMERGENCY

(SMOKE, FIRE, REQUIRING FIRST AID, etc)

• x6789 (Main control room)

followed by

• x2222 (Security)

The Biology Laboratories in both R80 and R55 are well equipped with an array of instruments and equipment.

​​A range of items are available in both target station biolabs. Lab users are encouraged to contact the biolab team ahead of their visit to check items required for their visit are available and to arrange orders if required.​

Balances: 1 decimal place and 3 decimal place balances. 300 g up to 3 kg.

Chemicals: Segregated chemical storage is provided near fume hoods for solvents, acids, bases and toxic chemicals. Refrigerated items are stored in the cold room, fridges and freezers. Room temperature irritants and non-hazardous items are stored in alphabetical order on shelves.

​Consumables: Gloves, paper towels, sample and centrifuge tubes 0.1 mL up to 1 L, vivispin concentrators, petri-dishes, glass slides, syringes and filters.

​Dark Room 

Freezers:​  -80 °C and -20 °C.​​​​

Fridges: 4 °C fridge, the cold room is 6 ​°C.

Fume hoods

Glass and plastic ware: Bottles, beakers, measuring cylinders.

Heating blocks: For incubations.

Heated cabinet: For drying lab ware. Please use incubators for samples.

Ice machine: Wet ice supply. Dry ice should be ordered well in advance – contact the biolab team for this.

Incubators: Shaking and static incubators. Located in the TS2 (R80) biolab & cell culture room.

PPE – Personal Protective Equipment: Safety glasses, microbiological lab coats, gloves, ear defenders and face-shields for UV and heat. Please check equipment is suitable and in good condition before use. Please contact the biolab team for replacements or new requirements.

​pH Meters: Located with calibration buffers in the fume hoods.​

Pipettes: 0-2 µL, 2-20 µL, 20-200 µL, 100-1000 µL, 5 mL, 10 mL, 20 mL, 50 mL pipettes and a multi-channel.

Printer / Scanner / Photocopier

Rocking platforms: Used for gel staining or incubations.

Sample mixers: Vortex / lab mixer.

UV Lamps: Handheld low intensity lamp and a high intensity gel imager.

Water baths: A range of heating, refrigerating and ultrasonic baths are available.​​