Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)

Characteristics
Natural Source	Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), also known as endotoxin, is a structural component of the cell wall of gram-negative bacteria (serves as a major structural component of the outer membrane)
Laboratory Source	Lyophilized powder forms exist, but LPS can be found in most biological reagents due to possible bacterial contamination.
Characteristics	It is a chemical that is considered a pyrogen and is a large glycolipid composed of three structural domains: lipid A, the core oligosaccharide, and the O antigen. The overall structure of LPS is conserved, but there are many variations that can occur at the species and strain level.

	Health Hazards
Route of Entry		Humans and animals are susceptible hosts to wildtype AdV. The host range of engineered AdV vectors will depend on the target gene and promoters engineered, as a result a wide variety of dividing and non-dividing cells can be transformed.
Signs and Symptoms		Respiratory and fecal-oral routes. AdV can also spread through contaminated fomites, ingestion, and inhalation of aerosolized droplets.
Toxicity Dose Data	AdV infection causes a mild respiratory tract infection (resembling a common cold or flu) which is self-limiting and generally asymptomatic. Infections may also affect the gastrointestinal tract, and eyes (conjunctivitis). Symptoms may include fever, nasal congestion, rhinitis, and pharyngitis. AdV and AdV vectors can induce varied immunological responses in the host, depending on the serotype.

Medical Precautions/Treatment
Prophylaxis	None available
Vaccines	None available
Treatment	No antidote or treatment is available. Administer supportive care and reduce the symptoms.
Surveillance	Monitor for symptoms. Seek medical attention if symptoms arise
GWU Requirements	Report all incidents to the Office of Risk Management as well as the Office of Research Safety (ORS) IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE OCCURRENCE.

Containment
BSL-1/ABSL-1	Conduct all work with LPS inside a biological safety cabinet or chemical fume hood. Use a filter top cage on either a ventilated or non-ventilated cage rack.

Spill Procedures
Small Spills (<1 liter)	If the spill occurred inside a biological safety cabinet, close the sash and allow the cabinet to operate for 15 minutes before continuing with the spill cleanup. If a spill occurs outside of a BSC, leave the room immediately and allow the aerosols to dissipate for 15 minutes. Notify others working in the lab. Don appropriate PPE. Cover area of the spill with paper towels or any absorbent material and apply decontamination solution working from the perimeter towards the center. Allow 60 minutes of contact time before disposal and cleanup of spill materials.
Large Spills	Alert lab personnel in the laboratory to the spill and keep people out of the area to prevent spread of the contamination. Check if you have been contaminated or if any of your PPE has been breached. If so follow exposure procedures. Remove any contaminated clothing and place it the biohazard waste. Wash your hands and post a sign on the door. Notify your supervisor of the incident and call ORS (4-8258) for assistance. If the situation involves an imminently life-threatening injury or has catastrophic potential, call 911.

Spill Procedures

Small Spills (<1 liter)

If the spill occurred inside a biological safety cabinet, close the sash and allow the cabinet to operate for 15 minutes before continuing with the spill cleanup.

If a spill occurs outside of a BSC, leave the room immediately and allow the aerosols to dissipate for 15 minutes. Notify others working in the lab. Don appropriate PPE. Cover area of the spill with paper towels or any absorbent material and apply decontamination solution working from the perimeter towards the center. Allow 60 minutes of contact time before disposal and cleanup of spill materials.

Large Spills

Alert lab personnel in the laboratory to the spill and keep people out of the area to prevent spread of the contamination. Check if you have been contaminated or if any of your PPE has been breached. If so follow exposure procedures. Remove any contaminated clothing and place it the biohazard waste. Wash your hands and post a sign on the door. Notify your supervisor of the incident and call ORS (4-8258) for assistance. If the situation involves an imminently life-threatening injury or has catastrophic potential, call 911.

Exposure Procedures
Mucus Membrane	Flush eyes, mouth or nose for 15 minutes at eyewash station.
Other Exposure	Wash area with soap and water for 15 minutes.
Reporting	Report ALL injuries to the PI immediately and reported to the Office of Risk Management at [email protected] IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE OCCURRENCE. Exposures that involve a bloodborne-pathogen or recombinant DNA also need to be reported to the Office of Research Safety at [email protected]. If the injury requires immediate medical attention, call GWPD at 202-994-6111 or call 911.
Medical Monitoring	Seek immediate medical evaluation, treatment, and post exposure follow-up at the Employee Health Office at GWU Hospital (900 23rd St., NW, Suite G-1090, Phone: 202-715-4275). Students should go to the Students Health Office at Marvin Center. After hours treatment can be received at the GWU hospital emergency room.

Stability
Decontamination	Decontaminate work areas with 10% bleach or 70% ethanol, as appropriate. When using bleach, follow-up with water to avoid damaging stainless steel materials.
Inactivation	Inactivated by heat

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Minimum PPE Requirements	At minimum, personnel are required to don gloves, closed toed shoes, lab coat, and appropriate face and eye protection prior to working with LPS. Additional PPE may be required depending on lab specific SOPs
Additional Precautions	Additional protection may be worn over laboratory clothing when infectious materials are directly handled, such as solid-front gowns with tight fitting wrists, gloves, and respiratory protection.

References
Lonza LPS SDS (https://bioscience.lonza.com/lonza_bs/US/en/Endotoxin-Detection/p/00000…) BMBL 6th Edition (https://www.cdc.gov/labs/BMBL.html) Function and biogenesis of lipopolysaccharides (https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/ecosalplus.ESP-0001-2018)