Team:GeorgiaTech/Safety

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Safety

View our safety form

Specific Safety Concerns

We must constantly consider the safety implications of our project and how it could affect the environment, as we alter the genomes of organisms to produce novel functions. Understanding that our organism could create potentially harmful methanol and other hydrocarbons during methane remediation, it is envisioned that the bacteria will eventually be engineered with a kill-switch to prevent it's escape from industrial remediation of methane.

Laboratory Safety

Our project involves regular use of powerful UV lights to visualize DNA bands after gel electrophoresis. Antibiotics used in the lab to selectively grow bacteria may be toxic to humans in large doses, and a Bunsen burner may be used on the bench to maintain a sterile environment or to sterilize some metal equipment during procedures involving bacteria.

Chassis Organisms

SpeciesStrainRisk GroupDisease Risk to Humans
Escherichia coliDH5α (K-12 Derivative), BL21-A11non-pathogenic, non-colonizing strains, although they may cause irritation to the skin, eyes, lungs, and kidneys.

Our team works with E. coli DH5α and BL21 on a daily basis as a tool to selectively grow plasmids and express recombinant proteins respectively. Both of these strains are Biosafety level 1 organisms and can be handled safely in our existing lab space, however precautions are still undertaken to limit user exposure and the release of bacteria and recombinant DNA in the lab.

Recombinant Coding DNA

Our recombinant DNA does not pose a threat to any humans, however it may cause environmental harm if genes for antibiotic resistance or increased gene expression escaped from the lab. Precautions are therefore undertaken to ensure that our recombinant DNA does not leave the lab space.

Our Lab

Safety Protocol

WELCOME TO iGEM 2014!

Your team has been approved and you are ready to start the iGEM season!
On this page you can document your project, introduce your team members, document your progress
and share your iGEM experience with the rest of the world!


Click here to edit this page!

Welcome!

Timeline

Visit the Safety Hub to see this year's safety requirements. The Safety Hub is the central page for everything related to safety in iGEM. You can also go there to learn about general biosafety topics, and how to think about the future implications of your project.


Edit this page!

Please use this page to write about anything related to safety in your project.

Your Lab

Use this section to tell us about your laboratory. Where is it located? What sort of equipment do you use every day? Have you decorated it for the summer? How do you look wearing a lab coat? Take pictures! Show off your space!

  • Now : Read the Safety Hub and learn about safety in iGEM. Ask questions by emailing safety at igem DOT org .
  • Now - Jamboree: Complete Check-Ins and receive approval before acquiring and using certain materials in your lab
  • Now - Wiki Freeze: Edit this Safety page to tell us about what you're doing
  • June 9: Submit the About Our Lab form.
  • Let us know by June 25 if you will need an extension on the Preliminary Version, or your Preliminary Version will be significantly incomplete.
  • June 30: Submit the Preliminary Version of the Safety Form.
  • Participate in Virtual Open Office Hours to ask questions and discuss safety topics (exact date to be determined).
  • September 1: Submit the Final Version of the Safety Form.
  • October: Wiki freeze (exact date to be determined)
  • October 30 - November 3: GIANT JAMBOREE!