diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index 3ef7bce..7c3768a 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -11,14 +11,25 @@ WORKDIR /app
 # ensures that the python output is sent to the terminal without buffering
 ENV PYTHONUNBUFFERED=TRUE
 
+# Update and upgrade packages, create a virtual environment, activate it and install the required libraries
+RUN apt-get update && apt-get upgrade -y && \
+    apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends \
+    build-essential && \
+    apt-get clean && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/* && \
+    python3 -m venv phylo-env && \
+    . phylo-env/bin/activate && \
+    pip --no-cache-dir install --upgrade pip && \
+    pip --no-cache-dir install --requirement requirements.txt
+
 # Copy the current directory contents into the container at /app
 COPY . /app
 
-# create a virtual environment, activate it and install the required libraries
-RUN python3 -m venv phylo-env &&\
-            . phylo-env/bin/activate &&\
-            pip --no-cache-dir install --upgrade pip &&\
-            pip --no-cache-dir install --requirement requirements.txt
+# Create a non-root user
+RUN useradd -m phylo-user && \
+    chown -R phylo-user:phylo-user /app
+
+# Switch to the non-root user
+USER phylo-user
 
 # Make port 8888 available to the world outside this container
 EXPOSE 8888
@@ -28,6 +39,3 @@ VOLUME /app
 
 # Run jupyter when container launches
 CMD ["jupyter", "notebook", "--ip='0.0.0.0'", "--port=8888", "--no-browser", "--allow-root"]
-
-
-