A Principal Investigator’s Insights on Biosafety and Best Practices
October’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Month gave us a remarkable opportunity to connect with some of the most safety-conscious teams in our research community. We sat down with biological labs that have set the bar high, demonstrating what it means to prioritize safety, compliance, and a shared responsibility for a secure lab environment. These conversations weren’t just about protocols—they were about the culture that makes safety second nature.
What stood out the most during these interviews was how these bio-labs showcased not only their successes, but also the challenges they’ve faced, turning these discussions into powerful opportunities for mutual learning.
Safety goes beyond checklists—it’s about building community. By sharing experiences and strategies, we all grow stronger.
Watch the video below to hear the insights from Professor Nick Takacs.
Dr. Nick Takacs is a Principal Investigator and an Assistant Professor of Biology at Northeastern University.
The Takacs Lab, established in January 2023, to study Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium causing Lyme disease, and its tick vector using genetic, imaging, and biochemical techniques. Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne infection in temperate regions, affects up to half a million people annually in the U.S., causing symptoms ranging from rashes to severe neurological and joint issues. The lab investigates B. burgdorferi’s unique segmented genome and its role in the bacterium’s transmission cycle, as well as the biology of its vector, the deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), to uncover mechanisms driving its survival and spread.