RTC return to research list

2.A.1 Name of plan "owner" (should be faculty PI)

Ihab Younis

2.A.2 CMU-Q email of plan owner

Email hidden; Javascript is required.

2.A.3 Department of plan owner

Biological Sciences

2.B Justification of on-site work

Experiments on two grants (NPRP10 and Seed) have to be done in the laboratories and cannot be done remotely. These include Cell culture experiments that require tissue culture hoods, PCR, RNA extraction, Gel electrophoresis, etc.
Please note that all the computational biology aspects of these grants are being done remotely by the PI and students and will continue as such till the building completely opens to everyone including students.

2.C.1 Facility details and locations

Room No.	Location name/description
3027	Research laboratory on third floor
3025	Teaching laboratory on third floor where some key instruments are located
3222	storage room on third floor to access reagents needed for experiments
3070	Office of Ihab Younis to minimize presence in laboratory while waiting on experiments to finish

2.C.2 Personnel details

Name	AndrewID	Personnel type (faculty, staff, student)	Relevant spaces to access #	Level of access ##
Ihab Younis	iyounis	faculty	all	B

2.C.3 Acknowledge that people listed above have been consulted

Yes, people listed above have been consulted

2.D Pandemic Safety Officer

PSO Name	PSO AndrewID	Date of training #
Ihab Younis	iyounis	July 14th, 2020

2.E.1 Short descriptoin of project(s) and type(s) of work

NPRP10: the project involves culturing breast cancer cells in a sterile environment, then treating these cells with short oligonucleotides to alter their splicing followed by assays such as survival curves, migration assays, RNA extraction, Protein extraction, RT-PCR, Western blots. The overall aim is to regulate breast cancer cells phenotype by regulating the splicing of key genes.
Seed: the project involves culturing breast cancer cells in a sterile environment, then over-expressing or down-regulating specific genes that encode RNA-binding proteins followed by RNA extraction and RT-PCR.

2.E.2 Does your work involve human subjects?

2.E.3 If not requesting ongoing access, list date ranges for which you are requesting access

ongoing access starting July 19th, 2020

2.F Prioritization considerations

The funding of NPRP10 project is suspended because of the lack of access to the laboratories. This funding will resume upon re-entry into the labs and resumption of experiments.

2.G.1.a Describe any scheduling tools you will use to control access to particular rooms and appratus?

Shared Calendar created by IT that will be used by anyone who would have access to the laboratories indicated above to eliminate crowding and maintain physical distancing rules. this calendar will ensure that different faculty members have staggered work schedules. This calendar is also useful to allow each of the lab users to log in their activities in the building in case there is a need for contact tracing.

2.G.1.c Are there any circumstances where personnel CANNOT maintain physical distancing for short periods of time?

2.G.2 Anyone who is sick must stay home

Yes, I affirm

2.G.3 Face masks

Yes, I affirm

2.G.4 Individual hygiene & hand-washing

Yes, I affirm

2.G.5 Facility entrance/exit logging processes

A google calendar (created by IT and shared with facilities) will be used to allow each of the lab users to log in their activities in the building.

3 Ramp-down and temporary suspension of work plans

In case a lab shut down is ordered due to infection spread or emergency, the following shut down plan will be executed:
• Ensure freezers (-20C & -80C degrees) and fridges are connected to emergency power.
• Ensure that one fume cupboard is connected to emergency power
• Samples and chemicals in the freezers that are temperature sensitive will remain in freezers with emergency backup
• Actively growing cultures will be placed immediately into fridges; if opportunity to freeze (time permission) this will be done.
• All equipment (with the exception of freezers and fridges) will be disconnected from power supply; especially heat equipment like water bath, heating blocks and ovens.
• Bench-tops will be cleared and wiped down and freed of clutter.
• All personal belongings will be removed from labs.
• Glass bottles or reagents (at room temperature) will be stored away into cupboards.
• Volatile chemicals will be stored away in the respective fume cupboards, all flammables will be stored away into flammable cabinets.
• Chemical waste will collect in one satellite collection point – this fume cupboard should be connected to the emergency power outlet.
• Accumulated waste will be autoclaved (if time permits).

4 Regular reporting details

Yes, I acknowledge

5 Acknowledgement of positive COVID-19 diagnosis response protocols and temporary work suspension

Yes, I acknowledge

6.b Attachments

Return-to-lab-plan-Ihab-Younis.pdf