Re: [DIYbio] [DIYbio.org ABE] How do I safely dispose of liquid cultures containing e coli?

[Matt Lawes]

As recommended by biosafety officer below. Some use 15% bleach instead.

I guess I was surprised to see DIYbioers working with explicitly pathogenic organisms. You may well be in breach of federal regulations. Unless I'm missing something can I just politely suggest that this sort of activity will lead to the hammer getting dropped on 'citizen science'.

>matt

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-----Original message-----

From: Jason Bobe <jaso...@gmail.com>
To: "diy...@googlegroups.com" <diy...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Aug 19, 2013 12:58:56 EDT
Subject: [DIYbio] [DIYbio.org ABE] How do I safely dispose of liquid cultures containing e coli?

Reposted from: http://ask.diybio.org/questions/other-than-autoclaving-how-do-i-safely-dispose-of-liquid-cultures-containing-e-coli/

How do I safely dispose of liquid cultures containing e coli?

Question:

I'm using bacteria enrichments for toxin producing e.coli O157 and the top six non-O157 shiga toxigenic e. coli. What is the best way, other than autoclaving, to safely dispose of the samples?

Answer from a Biosafety Officer:

August 19, 2013

 A simple mixture of 1 part Clorox bleach to 9 parts water is a very effective disinfectant.  Bleach/water solutions should be made fresh daily.  For liquid cultures, disinfect by adding enough concentrated bleach to result in a final mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts liquid culture and allow bleach to contact culture for 30 minutes.  Be sure your bleach has an EPA registration number [1].

[1] Selected EPA-registered Disinfectants, Last accessed August 15, 2013:
http://www.epa.gov/oppad001/chemregindex.htm

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[Jason Bobe]

On Mon, Aug 19, 2013 at 1:14 PM, Matt Lawes <ma...@insysx.com> wrote:

As recommended by biosafety officer below. Some use 15% bleach instead.

I guess I was surprised to see DIYbioers working with explicitly pathogenic organisms. You may well be in breach of federal regulations. Unless I'm missing something can I just politely suggest that this sort of activity will lead to the hammer getting dropped on 'citizen science'.

FWIW, this question appears to come from an agricultural context, where screening for contamination by e coli in food products is common practice and is in fact mandated in some circumstances (like beef apparently).  

Jason

[Cathal Garvey (Phone)]

Fair enough, but do the monitor strains used have to be toxigenic? O_o

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