Guidelines

for

Suite 618, 619 and 619A Biophotonic Laboratories

in the

Business Innovation Center

BU Photonics Center

8 Saint Mary’s Street

Boston, MA 02215

Background:

The suite 618, 619 and 619A laboratories were constructed and partially funded on a Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) Capital Grant and are intended to provide additional capabilities to the Business Innovation Center (BIC) and broaden the services and resources available to small companies. These labs hereinafter referred to as the MLSC suite will be classified as bio-safety level two (BSL-2) and will have additional equipment that will be shared among the tenants residing in this space. This will be a shared laboratory used by up to four companies.

Since this is a shared space with additional state government reporting requirements, this document will outline procedures and policies for use of the MLSC suite.

Description of Lab:

The MLSC suite consists of three rooms. Laboratory suite 618 is dedicated to a tenant company working on a virology or tissue culture program, laboratory suite 619A is designated for a tenant company working on bacterial pathogens. Suite 619 is a shared laboratory space for all tenant companies to use. All of these spaces are classified as BSL2 per Boston University’s BSL2 classification, which includes the use of human source material in the laboratory. Tenant companies should familiarize themselves with BU’s Biosafety Manual for definitions and protocol requirements ( companies should also review BU’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety designations ( As a quick overview, BU’s BSL2 designation has the following description:

Biosafety Level 2 builds upon BSL-1. BSL-2 is suitable for work involving agents that pose moderate hazards to personnel and the environment. It differs from BSL-1 in that

  1. Laboratory personnel have specific training in handling pathogenic agents and are supervised by scientists competent in handling infectious agents and associated procedures;
  2. Access to the laboratory is restricted when work is being conducted; and
  3. All procedures in which infectious aerosols or splashes may be created are conducted in Bio-Safety Cabinets or other physical containment equipment.

Any tenant company whose research falls under BU’s classification of BSL2 and/or who is conducting work with rDNA must form their own Institutional Biosafety Committee with at least three members who will establish a lab protocol and approve research, processes and personnel working in the laboratory. A copy of the tenant company’s approved IBC protocol and a signed approval letter must be provided to the laboratory manager (see Emergency Contact section for contacts) prior to any work being conducted. This protocol will be forwarded to BU’s IBC and EHS for their acknowledgement but not their approval. Each tenant is responsible for their own IBC and must provide any updates or modifications to the MLSC laboratory manager.

The three shared laboratories (618, 619 and 619A) are outfitted with a basic infrastructure consisting of epoxy top or stainless steel laboratory benches, laboratory air and vacuum, de-ionized (DI) water, emergency back-up power and a handwashing sink. The laboratory air runs through a dryer in the main laboratory, but it is not breathable or sterilized air; it may contain oils or water from the compressor that are not captured by the dryer. If a tenant company requires further purification of air or DI water, it is the responsibility of the tenant companyto identify and purchase the equipment they need and to coordinate the installation with the MLSC laboratory manager. All three laboratories have secured entrances. 618 and 619 have Zaius card swipe access and 619A (inside 619) has a locked door entrance to 619A.

Suite 619 has two laboratory benches that are dedicated to two tenant companies respectively. Each bench is equipped with lab vacuum and air and has emergency back-up power and space for an under bench refrigerator. Additionally, the room is outfitted with a sink and drying rack, a fume hood with air, vacuum and DI water, an autoclave for disinfecting glasswareand safety equipment (i.e. eye wash, emergency shower). The autoclave is for sterilization of glassware or accessories but not for waste sterilization. The chemical fume hood is not a biosafety cabinet. If a tenant company requires a biosafety cabinet, it is their responsibility to purchase and maintain. The cabinet can only be placed in Suite 618 or 619A and should be identified in the Equipment Inventory document prior to signing a lease agreement to determine if the cabinet can be accommodated. Adjacent to the fume hood is a laboratory bench for sample preparation and other experiments that is available on a shared basis. There is an ultra-centrifuge that tenant companies can use, but they must purchase their own rotors from the vendor to prevent cross-contamination. Additionally, there is a high magnification fluorescent microscope in the shared laboratory for all tenant companies to use.

Suite 618 has a separate card swipe access and a pass-through to Suite 619 to prevent transport of material through the hallway. It is equipped with an inverted microscope and a centrifuge. Suite 619A has a key-locked door entrance. This laboratory is equipped with a microscope optimized for bacterial samples. If required, procurement of high power oil immersion objectives are the responsibility of the tenant company.

The basic layout of the MLSC suite is found in Appendix A to this document and a list of shared equipment found in the lab follows:

Location / Equipment / Vendor / Part# / Description
619 / Fume Hood / 6 ft. fume hood
Compressed Air Dryer / Super-Dry / 280.110/FSD-80-W / D1 – super dry 70 CFM/ Air/Water Separator D1
Autoclave / Fisher Scientific / 029645 / Tuttnauer Autoclave 2340E 120V
Microscope / MVI/Nikon / Fluorescent high powered microscope without camera
Centrifuge / Beckman Coulter / Avanti JXN-30
Location / Equipment / Vendor / Part# / Description
619A / Vortex Mixer / Fisher Scientific / Hand vortex mixer
Upright Microscope / MVI/Nikon / Microscope for bacterial work (w/o oil immersion objectives and dust cover)
618 / Inverted Microscope / MVI/Nikon / Inverted microscope for tissue culture
Cell Culture bench top centrifuge / Beckman Coulter / B08540 / Allegra X-30R IVD

Permitted Use

As with all BIC facilities, the MLSC suite may be used for research and product development purposes only. Product builds are generally to be limited to alpha samples. Alpha samples are defined as a state of early product development that requires several iterations to improve quality and performance, often as a result of customer or compliance laboratory feedback.

Laboratory Safety Training

All tenant company employees using the MLSC suite or any other of the Photonics Center core laboratories must first complete Laboratory Safety Training before use of the lab is permitted. If BSL2 research will be conducted, additional safety training may be required, please contact EHS for assistance. Access to the lab will not be authorized until the training is complete and if BSL2 work will be conducted, access will not be granted until the tenant company’s approved IBC protocol is provided to the MLSC laboratory manager for review and submission to EHS and BU’s IBC. Laboratory Safety Training and any additional training may be completed on-line or in the classroom. Registration for the training may be made via links on the BU Environmental Health & Safety website (see:

Authorized Employees

A tenant company has no limit on the number of employees that receive Laboratory Safety Training; however, there is limited space in the MLSC suite, so each tenant company should not exceed 2 employees working in the lab at any one time. The maximum occupancy of the MLSC suite is 8 people, so each of the four companies is limited to 2 employees.

Emergency Contact Information

A placard outside the MLSC suite identifies current emergency contact information. Each company is responsible for identifying their emergency contact and ensuring their chemical inventory list is updated. General contact info is found in the following table.

Contact / Number
Lab Manager, Helen Fawcett / (857) 753-1719
Medical Emergency or Fire / (617) 353-2121
Emergency Spills, Facilities Emergency (power, flooding) / (617) 353-2105
EH&S / (617) 353-4094

Standard Microbiological Practices

The MLSC suite is a BSL-2 rated facility, thus all users of the lab must develop and implement their own biosafety protocol. Each company conducting BSL2 research must establish their own Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) made up of at least three individuals that areresponsible for developing and approving their company’s biosafety protocol. A copy of the protocol will be provided to and kept on file by the BU EHS and IBC. Companies that are not conducting BSL-2 researchbut who are using the MLSC suite must adhere to biosafety requirements as outlined by BU EHS training (including but not limited to laboratory coat, gloves and safety glasses that must be worn at all times in the laboratory and handwashing prior to exit from the laboratory).

As a minimum, a company’s biosafety protocol must document:

  • Emergency contact information.
  • Research description and objectives.
  • Laboratory procedures and manipulations involved.
  • Personal protective equipment and safety equipment.
  • Safety procedures.
  • Materials used in research.
  • Identify all researchers who will work in the laboratory

As part of the standard practices, the following apply:

  • Eating, drinking, smoking, handling contact lenses and applying cosmetics are not permitted in the MLSC suite.
  • Food is not to be stored in refrigerators or elsewhere in the MLSC suite.
  • Shared work surfaces (i.e. bench adjacent to fume hood) should be decontaminated on completion of work by wiping surfaces with 70% Ethanol or applicable disinfectant per BU’s IBC protocol.
  • All company specific work surfaces should be decontaminated on completion of work or at the end of the day and after any spill of viable material.
  • Equipment removed from the MLSC suite should be decontaminated before removal from the lab. BU’s Lab Decontamination and Decommissioning Policy must be followed:
  • Biological wastes and sharps wastes are to be disposed of in the appropriate receptacle provided to each company.
  • Each company should procure their own personal protective equipment. Suggested PPE includes:
  • Lab coats (disposable) – Fisher Scientific KleenGuard A60: Kimberly-Clark™ ProfessionalKleenGuard™ A60 Bloodborne Pathogen and Chemical Splash Protection Lab Coats
  • Safety glasses – Fisher Scientific Ultra Dura Hardcoat: Uvex™ Genesis™ Protective Spectacles
  • Gloves – Kimberly-Clark™ ProfessionalPurple Nitrile™ Exam Gloves

General Housekeeping

All new or existing tenant companies will be required to complete three forms: Hazardous Material Survey, Laboratory Design Checklist and an Equipment Inventory document. Links to these documents can be found on the Photonics Center website at: These forms need to be completed even by existing tenant companies and should reflect the materials and equipment to be used in the MLSC suite. It is important to complete these items for review by Photonics Center staff and BU EHS to ensure that the tenant company’s requirements can be accommodated in the MLSC suite, and to update the door placards. Any modifications to your equipment must be approved prior to purchase and installation in the labs. All tenant companies are required on an annual basis (September) to ensure that their chemical inventory on RIMS is up to date and accurate.

The MLSC suite will have common trash receptacles for recyclable materials and solid, non-contaminated waste. Eachtenant company is responsible for disposing of biological waste per BU EHS protocols with pick-up scheduled via the online biological waste pick-up tool.

Except for biological material, all supplies, parts, and equipment delivered to tenant companies should be unpacked in the hall outside the MLSC suite. Packing material shall be left neatly in the hall and labeled as trash for removal.

The area near the eye wash station and near the entrance must be kept clear of anything (i.e. bins, cabinets, equipment, etc.) that could impede access to the eye wash station or entrance.

The sink and drying racks for glassware in lab 619 are for shared use, so the sink and counter should be cleaned after each use and dry glassware should be stored at a company’s designated space in the lab.Tenant companies should label all of their glassware, equipment, supplies and accessories.

Flammable materials should be kept in the tenant company’s designated flammable storage cabinet. If the amount of storage exceeds the available space, then the tenant company must procure their ownflammables cabinet that fits within their designated space/lab bench kneehole. Companies should only order materials that can be safely stored and be used in a reasonable time period (i.e. < 1 month). Excess material needs to be safely stored off-site.

Reporting Requirements

Tenant companies residing in the MLSC suite acknowledge that the University has received funding through a state investment initiative under a Grant Agreement with MLSC and agrees to the reporting requirements associated with this grant. On or before January 15th of each calendar year or within 15 days of their departure from the suite, a Company in the MLSC suite must provide the following required information:

  • The total number of Company’s full-time employees working in the MLSC suite on December 31st of the preceding calendar year or as of the date of the Company’s departure from the suite.
  • The total salary (excluding bonuses, the value of health and social benefits, 401(k) contributions, and other non-salary compensation) the Company paid to full-time employees working in the MLSC suite since the beginning of the calendar year.
  • A non-proprietary description of the Company, the Company’s progress in their research, and actual or anticipated date of vacating the MLSC suite.

Appendix A: MLSC Suite Layout