SAFETY

Like most iGEM teams, our project consists of working with microorganisms that are part of the risk group 1 and as such only need to work in Level 1 safety conditions. With this biosafety level 1, only the standard safety precautions need apply when handling our microorganisms. By biosafety we understand as taking the necessary precautions so as to minimize the risks to our teammates working in the lab, the general public and the environment. The conditions that we work in, for they are safety level 1, include the most basic precautions in any lab. In these conditions, work can be done on open benches and wearing basic protective equipment such as lab coats, protective eye wear and rubber, or nitrile, gloves.

Before being allowed to be alone in either of the labs without a post-graduate student present to oversee us, we had to take a standard safety course. This course covered the subjects of proper waste disposal, the importance of labelling everything inside a lab and what actions to take in case of an emergency. The most important part in waste disposal was to correctly maintain separate chemical agents that should not mix. For example, making sure an acid and a base are not thrown into the same container.

Our Questions

Question 1: Would any of your project idea raise safety issues in terms of research safety, public safety or environmental safety?
The strain of E. Coli we chose to work with, DSM 1103 is considered within Biosafety level 1 and as such is considered an agent with minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment. In any case an outbreak were to happen, our E. Coli strain doesn’t contain genes with toxin or antibiotic resistance. In case of contact with eyes or mouth, E. Coli can cause infections and as such we use wear gloves when dealing with our bacteria and dispose them in red safety bags a company will then sterilize before throwing them away.

Question 2: Are any parts or devices in our project associated with (or known to cause) pathogenicity, infectivity, toxicity, threats to environmental quality or security concerns?
The biggest risk comes from E. Coli infections to our team handling bacteria, an issue for which we have taken precautions. There are no other infectivity, toxicity of pathogenicity threats from our project. Security concerns are very low, as there are minimal security risks. Materials used are very common in microbiology labs and cannot be used maliciously or weaponized.

Further Questions

Question 3: Do any of the new BioBricks parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues?
We do not use any BioBricks parts this year, we have designed a device that only affects bacterial systems.

Question 4: Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution?
The department of Chemical and Biological Sciences is responsible for regulating safety standards and laboratories. The head of the department and its teachers are aware of our project and as such check on us and make sure we are following guidelines. When in doubt, we refer to the biosafety guidelines the CDC has made public.