Safety discussion BasicSafety Collaboration Judging Form Policy&Practice

Safety

Safety discussion

We had a relationship with Chiaki Ishizuka who belongs to Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences. She was interested in our activity and sent an e-mail. We took the questionnaire about the genetic modification of the artist's glance to her and her friends.

Viewpoint

Viewpoint:ARTIST

We were able to obtain an answer from five artists this time. Six questions and the answers to them are as follows.

Q1. Have you studied genetic modification ?
-Yes: 2 persons/ No: 3 persons
the opinion of the supporter:

• I checked it for technical interest.
• I studied at the time of the social studies of the elementary school.

Q2.What kind of image do you have toward a scientist studying genetic modification ?

• I have not thought.
• Slightly scared.
• I think that they are troubled by criticism from the world for the ethic to remodel the animals and plants, and it is thought that there is a limit for a study.
• I identify them with other fields researchers.
• I think they are intelligent.

The gene-recombination technology can suppose that it is not familiar to artists.

Q3.Do you object about genetically modifying plants?
-Yes: 1 person/ No: 1 person / neither:3 persons
the opinion of the supporter:

• There is no problem if they consider what the gene-recombination technology impacts human and environment, and use the technology while setting a limit so that adverse effects don’t happen.

　the opinion of the person who answered “neither”:

• Because selective breeding is carried out from old days, I don’t worry.
• Judging from the experiment of the existing stage, I do not object for now.
• If the researchers don’t have malicious intent, I do not object.
• I do not think that genetic modification leads to the profanity for the living life.
• If the researchers control these plants not to let them escape and destroy ecosystem, I do not have any problem.

　the opinion of the opponent:

• Because human change the living, it has influence that it is not good for the global environment.

Q4.Do you object about genetically modifying animals?
-Yes: 1 person/ No: 1 person / neither: 3 persons
the opinion of the supporter:

• The technology is likely to greatly contribute to various fields.
• The technology must overcome the ethical problem

　the opinion of the person who answered “neither”:

• I am afraid of treating the blood-circulating creatures.
• Judging from the experiment of the existing stage, I do not object for now.
• I want the researchers to consider that animals must be suffering from the pain in the experiment.

　the opinion of the opponent:

• The technology may have a bad influence to biological diversity.
• When the researchers apply the technology to human, only the people that are good at exercising and studying will be born.

In the question about animals, some people seem to feel pity for animal and feel a sense of impending crisis to a difference of the ability by applying to human. In both topics (about plants and animals), the ayes and noes were divided.

Q5.Which do you buy better, genetically modified foods or non- genetically modified foods?
non-genetically modified foods: 4 persons / other: 1 person
the opinion of selecting non- genetically modified foods:

• I feel that it is safer than genetically modified foods.
• I have heard a rumor that to eat genetically modified foods leads the onset of cancer.
• Because I often see the phrase “non-genetically modified foods” on the label of food, I dislike genetically modified foods.
• I think the producer of genetically modified foods are about to positively make a profit in depreciation of consumer’s health. But if they can produce the tomatoes which are much sweeter than normal ones.
• I do not understand the actual situation of genetically modified foods.

　other option:

• I buy cheap and delicious one.
• If the fluorescent natto exist, I try to eat it.

Q6.Can you love genetically modified animals?
Yes: 5 persons
the opinion of the supporter:

• I can love it if I do not hold physiological loathsomeness. But, if strange animals are born, I come to dislike them.
• I like fluorescent rabbits.
• I think genetically modified animals are similar to the animals made selective breeding such as cats and dogs.
• I don’t expect it positively.
• Even if it is any animal, I can love it.

Almost everyone think that they can love genetically modified animals but don’t eat genetically modified foods. Thus, in the case they themselves take it in, people feel uneasiness because this connects directly with health. While, some people try to eat value-added foods.

Many artists aren’t familiar with genetic modification technology. We find that they don’t have a prejudice against genetically modified products even if they don’t know the genetic modification in detail. But, few people don’t try to eat the strange foods regardless of whether they have special knowledge or not.

Viewpoint:SCIENTIST

After having shown the result of the above-mentioned questionnaire, we discussed a genetically-modified ethics in team members, an undergraduate, teachers ,and so on.

One of the members who thought so asked people who participated in a discussion how genetic modification should do it so that it prevented you from being thought that scary. First, the following opinion was provided:

The long-term influence of genetically-modified foods may have varies risks and is not still ( because there is not an example) known.

In the first place, there is a primary problem that we cannot prove safety of GM food as we cannot prove safety of non-GM food, by the reason that it is on the market and sufficiently fills safety standards. Of course, all foods should exist with a premise that they are safe and have safety standards (at least in Japan). But any food might be poison if taken in large quantities even if it passes the standards regardless of genetically modified or not. For example, salt raises risks of high blood pressure, cancer and apoplexy by taken too much even though salt is necessary to human. On the other hand, sodium nitrite must be added to sausage to restrain bacteria from multiplication even though it is powerful drug. So we can regard any food as safe thing when we eat within common sense, but we cannot affirm that any food is safe because it is dealt in.

When we make something regarded as safe thing, food for thought depends on whether it is really safe or not. To show safety of safe things, they should use, eat, etc. But in reality, there is few things known as absolutely safe thing. Then how should we have to do with things we don’t know they are safe or not?

It is difficult to say that genetically modified things, which have unnatural genes are safe. Of course it is sure that we cannot say a thing non-unraveled is safe, while it is a truth that many people don’t have evaluation criteria of him/her and get indeterminate anxiety. If he get information on a subject and be able to judge the safety of it by concrete bases with his criteria, it will be not that he avoid the subject because of indeterminate anxiety at least.

Then what should we do to get evaluation criteria? Unfortunately, I haven’t got my criteria even though writing this page. If I will have to choose a non-GM food or a 50% discounted GM food, I will be unable to decide whether to buy.

What should we (this “we” means all people, not only concerned in the field) do to get our own evaluation criteria? One of the ways should be opportunities to get concerned about this field at compulsory education.

Here, we are students or scientists influenced on synthetic biology using the technique of gene recombination. So every of us should get own evaluation criteria which can be used to convince children. To realize that, they are important for us to have a chance to consider a matter by get to know opinions from other areas and to find hints for making criteria by conversing with people in near areas. And it is most important to know much by experience and mature the own criteria.

Besides, though it isn’t apply to only this field, we should show answers matured in own area to any area. It lets us deepen other’s understanding of the study, and perhaps we can get points to improve from them. It is reciprocal. So exchanging opinions with people in various areas makes the relationship between each ones better and let us acquire study more and more in own area.

BasicSafety Judging Form Human Practice

Safety

Basic Safety Questions for iGEM 2014

1. Your Training
1. Have your team members received any safety training yet?

Yes, we have already received safety training.

2. Please briefly describe the topics that you learned about (or will learn about) in your safety training.

We learned about recombinant DNA technology guideline and things to be careful of when working in laboratory. And one of team members, Kenta Nomura, had a training to learn handling of hazardous materials, and he teaches us tips for experiment.

3. Please give a link to the laboratory safety training requirements of your institution (college, university, community lab, etc). Or, if you cannot give a link, briefly describe the requirements.

For detail information about safety training please refer to the site below (Japanese): http://web.jim.gifu-u.ac.jp/sienka/DNA/

2. Your Local Rules and Regulations
1. Who is responsible for biological safety at your institution? (You might have an Institutional Biosafety Committee, an Office of Environmental Health and Safety, a single Biosafety Officer, or some other arrangement.) Have you discussed your project with them? Describe any concerns they raised, and any changes you made in your project based on your discussion.

The supervisor at our institution is Professor Hiroyuki Koyama, responsible for biological safety at Gifu University. A team instructor, Akio Ebihara, had already explained to him what we were going to do in our iGEM project. He mentioned that there is no special concern in our project because our experiment is similar to a practice course for undergraduate student. And Prof. Koyama permitted us to do the project.

2. What are the biosafety guidelines of your institution? Please give a link to these guidelines, or briefly describe them if you cannot give a link.

Our University is under ISO14001. We follow its rules. Law concerning the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity through regulations on the use of living modified organisms (Cartagena Agreement): http://www.gifu-u.ac.jp/images/12/rule/05dna.pdf

3. In your country, what are the regulations that govern biosafety in research laboratories? Please give a link to these regulations, or briefly describe them if you cannot give a link.

http://www.lifescience.mext.go.jp/bioethics/anzen.html http://www.bch.biodic.go.jp/english/cartagena/images/e_cartagena.pdf

3. The Organisms and Parts that You Use

Species name(including strain)	Risk Group	Risk Group Source	Disease risk to humans?	Part number/name	Natural function of part	How did you acquire it?	How will you use it?
Escherichia coli(K12)	1	ABSA	yes			Instructor	building our parts
Oryza sativa	1		no	[BBa_K118023]/cenA	involved in making and decomposing sugar chain	from iGEM HQ	decompose cellulose into cellobiose
Oryza sativa	1		no	[BBa_K118022]/cex	involved in making and decomposing sugar chain	from iGEM HQ	decompose cellulose into cellobiose
Oryza sativa	1		no	[BBa_K118028]/bglx	involved in making and decomposing sugar chain	from iGEM HQ	decompose cellulose into D-glucose
T4 phage	1		no			NBRC20004 Escherichia coli phage T4	building our parts

4. Risks of Your Project Now

Please describe risks of working with the biological materials (cells, organisms, DNA, etc.) that you are using in your project. If you are taking any safety precautions (even basic ones, like rubber gloves), that is because your work has some risks, however small. Therefore, please discuss possible risks and what you have done (or might do) to minimize them, instead of simply saying that there are no risks at all.

1. Risks to the safety and health of team members, or other people working in the lab:

Since our experimental room is small, we sometime work in a crowded situations. So we need to be careful not to make a glancing hit. This might happen unexpected accidents. We use a cancer-causing reagent, ethidium bromide, and we should be careful to use it.

2. Risks to the safety and health of the general public (if any biological materials escaped from your lab):

Biological materials or these products might be toxic if they escaped from our lab. Perhaps they escape by an earthquake, a fire, and so on.

3. Risks to the environment (from waste disposal, or from materials escaping from your lab):

Escaping bacteria from lab by disposing wastes without autoclave might harm the environment that includes natural life.

4. Risks to security through malicious mis-use by individuals, groups, or countries:

An entry to our lab space without any permission, which may occur after losing the key to our lab. The entry allows the individuals to do an abuse of the regents.

5. What measures are you taking to reduce these risks? (For example: safe lab practices, choices of which organisms to use.)

Follow the rule for lab safety. No entry for those who have little concern.

5. Risks of Your Project in the Future

What would happen if all your dreams came true, and your project grew from a small lab study into a commercial/industrial/medical product that was used by many people? We invite you to speculate broadly and discuss possibilities, rather than providing definite answers. Even if the product is "safe", please discuss possible risks and how they could be addressed, rather than simply saying that there are no risks at all.

1. What new risks might arise from your project's growth? (Consider the categories of risk listed in parts a-d of the previous question: lab workers, the general public, the environment, and malicious mis-uses.) Also, what risks might arise if the knowledge you generate or the methods you develop became widely available?

A toxic protein can be produced using parts we are going to make. Any materials in our lab should not be transferred without a permission from our instructor.

2. Does your project currently include any design features to reduce risks? Or, if you did all the future work to make your project grow into a popular product, would you plan to design any new features to minimize risks? (For example: auxotrophic chassis, physical containment, etc.) Such features are not required for an iGEM project, but many teams choose to explore them.

Be careful not to talk information and details of our experiment to others.