Team:Gaston Day School/Safety

From 2011.igem.org

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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School| <span style="color:white">Home</span>]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Team| <span style="color:white">Team]]
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!align="center"|[https://igem.org/Team.cgi?id=614|<span style="color:white">Official Team Profile</span>]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Project| <span style="color:white">Project</span>]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Parts| <span style="color:white">Parts Submitted to the Registry</span>]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Notebook| <span style="color:white">Notebook</span>]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Safety| <span style="color:white">Safety</span>]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Attributions| <span style="color:white">Attributions</span>]]
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<!--- The Mission, Experiments --->
<!--- The Mission, Experiments --->
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'''== 1. Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of: researcher safety, public safety, or environmental safety? =='''  
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'''''Our Safety Experiments are included in our "Notebook" Section of the website'''''
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:Gaston Day School’s nitrate detector does not pose any significant risk to researcher or public safety since, as a high school, we are restricted to working with organisms and chemicals at BioSafety Level 1.
 
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Any environmental detector has the potential to be released into the environment. If released, potential issues include the spread of plasmids carrying antibiotic resistances and introduction of synthetic genes into new populations. These safety issues are related to the use of a finalized product and not to the production of the biobrick.
 
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'''== 2. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues? If yes, did you document these issues in the Registry? How did you manage to handle the safety issue? How could other teams learn from your experience? =='''  
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''''' 1. Would the materials used in your project and / or your final product pose: '''''  
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:As stated above, the safety issues raised by our nitrate detector are related to using the detector in the field. Instructions and the chemicals necessary for deactivating the detector using bleach will be included in the final kit. However, people are notorious for not following directions for using many products, including those products which may be hazardous, such as pesticides.
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::''''' A. Risks to the safety and health of team members or others in the lab'''''
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:As an additional part of our project, we are examining the effects of failure to follow the given disposal directions. We will be looking at the actual longevity of the engineered bacteria in a variety of conditions that we think are the most likely “disposal errors,” including dumping the bacteria down a sink, into chlorinated or non-chlorinated water, into a local pond or creek, or simply dumping it into the soil. These experiments will allow us to determine the actual risk of this type of product.
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:::As there is with any science experiment, there are risks involved with our project. Our team works with bleach which can cause irritation and a burning sensation if improperly exposed through inhalation, ingestion, or prolonged exposure to skin.  Even so, we take care and pride to prevent any issues. Also, our team works with E. coli K12. It is a version of E. coli that is widely studied and found to be very safe and practical for research. In fact, it is one of the most-studied bacteria of all time. E. coli K12 has no known survival mechanisms in the environment and has a very, very low risk causing threats to organisms.  In fact is often used in high school science classes. Even with antibiotic resistance, the amount of harm caused to most organisms would be minimal. The only real danger would be if a bacterium was able to conjugate with another type of bacteria that was more harmful and was able to transfer its resistances. The chances of this happening are small due to the fact that the bacterium is held in a lab that most high school students do not enter (separate room that remains locked) and because proper safety precautions are followed relative to our biosafety level when inside this lab, including proper safety equipment and diligent handwashing.  
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::'''''B. Risks to the safety and health of the general public if released by design or accident?'''''
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:::There are not many reasonable threats to the safety and health of the public if the project were to be released. This is mainly because we are in the biosafety level (BSL) 1 which limits what materials we can use. In saying this, bleach can be purchased by almost anyone at their local supermarket or grocery store. Therefore, the risk is no different than someone buying the bleach and using it as a house hold chemical. Also, E. coli K12 can be purchased by the public. Therefore, it is once again low risk. However, some other teams’ projects include more hazardous materials that can not be purchased by the public thus causing a greater security risk than those associated with BSL 1. As long as proper regulations are followed specific to their safety level, there is no risk. For the general public, the only way the bacterium may cause harm is through the spread of antibiotic resistance to chloramphenacol. The reason for this particular drug resistance is because this is what our team uses when doing selective resistance to get the final product. It only becomes risky when this resistance is spread to more harmful bacteria.
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::'''''C. Risks to environmental quality if released by design or accident?'''''
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:::There are no unreasonable, adverse effects associated with bleach being introduced into the environment.  Our iGem team is studying these effects in case users do not follow the proper directions associated with our machine. E. coli K12 has no known way of surviving in the environment and can not produce spores. It is also not able to colonize the gut of an organism which makes it a very low environmental threat.
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'''== 3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution? If yes, what does your local biosafety group think about your project? If no, which specific biosafety rules or guidelines do you have to consider in your country? =='''  
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::'''''D. Risks to the security through malicious misuse by individuals, groups or states?'''''
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:::Our iGem team is studying the security threats through malicious misuse of the machine by others. The malicious misuse could be created by almost anyone since they have access to the same materials. For example, malicious misuse of the bleach in the machine is identical the threat created by the misuse of household bleach since the two are the same. Even so, the team is still testing side effects from individuals not following the directions. For instance, after using the bleach from our machine, the individual is supposed to dilute the bleach before disposing of it. Our team is testing the hypothetical situations that arise from the misuse of directions and analyzing the effects.
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:Gaston Day School does not have a formal biosafety committee, but all major projects undertaken as a school are reviewed and approved by the head of the division and the head of school with consultation by any necessary specialists if needed. Formation of a more formal committee to approve all science fair-type projects is in the planning stages. Restrictions associated with working in a highschool also mean that we adhere to all government regulations as well.
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::'''''Specifically, are any of your parts or devices in your project associated (or known to cause): pathogenicity, infectivity, or toxicity? Threats to environmental quality? Security concerns?'''''
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'''''2. If yes, explain how you addressed these issues in project design and while conducting laboratory work'''''
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:::From our machine, there are no real environmental threats. Again, this arises from being in the BSL 1 and from the public having access to the same materials we use. Therefore, they are all relatively stable and safe. There is no real toxicity other than bleach, but it can be purchased at many public stores and locations around the world and is only harmful from intentional misuse (ex. ingesting very large quantities, inhaling large amounts). Our machine itself is not pathogenic but if it is able to conjugate with other possibly pathogenic bacteria, then it may cause some degree of harm. If the bacterium is isolated then this will not happen and maybe used safely.
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'''== 4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering? =='''  
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''''' 3. Under what biosafety provisions will / do you operate?'''''  
 +
::Our iGem laboratory at Gaston Day School operates under the Biosafety Level 1. Gaston Day School’s iGem team has biosafety level (BSL) 1 restrictions. BSL 1 usually is present in most high school laboratories. Therefore, there are many restrictions and rules present that limit the amount of harmful materials in the lab. Some regulations include: a sink must be present in the lab, controlled access (locked doors), no eating or drinking in lab area, decontamination of surfaces after lab work, and a lab supervisor.  However, most colleges and other iGem teams have a higher BSL which allows for them to possess more hazardous materials, and thus more safety regulations, and more security concerns to address.
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:See answer to question 2.
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::'''''A. Does your institution have its own biosafety rules and if so what are they?'''''
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:::At Gaston Day School we do not have a set of our own biosafety rules. In saying this, we do follow all of the regulations and rules from BSL 1 and operate under the supervision of our advisor, Ms. Anne Byford, who has much knowledge in the biological field. 
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::'''''B. Does your institution have in Institutional Biosafety Committee or equivalent group? If yes, have you discussed your project with them? Describe any concerns or changes that were made based on this review.'''''
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:::All of our iGem projects at Gaston Day School are approved by the Head of the School, Dr. Richard Rankin, the Head of Middle and Upper School, Mr. Tim Tinnesz, and lastly the Board of Directors to ensure the safety of our team and school.
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School|Home]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Team|Team]]
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::'''''C. Will / did you receive any biosafety and / or lab training before beginning your project? If so, describe this training. '''''
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!align="center"|[https://igem.org/Team.cgi?year=2010&team_name=Gaston_Day_School Official Team Profile]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Project|Project]]
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:::Our team has received biosafety and lab training from our advisor, Ms. Anne Byford. She has also supervised and gone through the specific methods and processes we use to isolate, cut, ligate, and view the DNA used to create our bacterium. This also includes proper lab etiquette and how to use equipment such as a microcentrifuge, pipettes, and gel electrophoresis boxes.
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Parts|Parts Submitted to the Registry]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Modeling|Modeling]]
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::'''''D. Does your country have national biosafety regulations or guidelines? If so, provide a link to them online if possible.'''''
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Notebook|Notebook]]
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Safety|Safety]]
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:::Yes, the United States of America’s biosafety regulations are controlled by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). The link is below.
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!align="center"|[[Team:Gaston_Day_School/Attributions|Attributions]]
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''''' 4. OPTIONAL QUESTION: Do you have any other ideas on how to deal with safety or security issues that could be useful for future iGem competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?'''''
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::Safety is the most important part of the competition. Safety must be stressed upon and needs to be a priority in all labs. To help with this, each team / advisor should have to fill out a survey / worksheet that measures the safety in their lab and also makes sure that they are staying within the regulations of their BSL. Also, photos should be submitted of the lab to show that they have the proper safety regulation and requirements.
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''Citations:''
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1. http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947350070
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2. http://epa.gov/biotech_rule/pubs/fra/fra004.htm
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3. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/0029fact.pdf
 +
 
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4. http://epa.gov/biotech_rule/pubs/fra/fra004.htm
 +
 
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5. http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf  pages 30-33.
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6. http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/ and http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf
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Latest revision as of 00:00, 29 September 2011

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Home Team Official Team Profile Project Parts Submitted to the Registry Notebook Safety Attributions


Our Safety Experiments are included in our "Notebook" Section of the website


1. Would the materials used in your project and / or your final product pose:

A. Risks to the safety and health of team members or others in the lab
As there is with any science experiment, there are risks involved with our project. Our team works with bleach which can cause irritation and a burning sensation if improperly exposed through inhalation, ingestion, or prolonged exposure to skin. Even so, we take care and pride to prevent any issues. Also, our team works with E. coli K12. It is a version of E. coli that is widely studied and found to be very safe and practical for research. In fact, it is one of the most-studied bacteria of all time. E. coli K12 has no known survival mechanisms in the environment and has a very, very low risk causing threats to organisms. In fact is often used in high school science classes. Even with antibiotic resistance, the amount of harm caused to most organisms would be minimal. The only real danger would be if a bacterium was able to conjugate with another type of bacteria that was more harmful and was able to transfer its resistances. The chances of this happening are small due to the fact that the bacterium is held in a lab that most high school students do not enter (separate room that remains locked) and because proper safety precautions are followed relative to our biosafety level when inside this lab, including proper safety equipment and diligent handwashing.
B. Risks to the safety and health of the general public if released by design or accident?
There are not many reasonable threats to the safety and health of the public if the project were to be released. This is mainly because we are in the biosafety level (BSL) 1 which limits what materials we can use. In saying this, bleach can be purchased by almost anyone at their local supermarket or grocery store. Therefore, the risk is no different than someone buying the bleach and using it as a house hold chemical. Also, E. coli K12 can be purchased by the public. Therefore, it is once again low risk. However, some other teams’ projects include more hazardous materials that can not be purchased by the public thus causing a greater security risk than those associated with BSL 1. As long as proper regulations are followed specific to their safety level, there is no risk. For the general public, the only way the bacterium may cause harm is through the spread of antibiotic resistance to chloramphenacol. The reason for this particular drug resistance is because this is what our team uses when doing selective resistance to get the final product. It only becomes risky when this resistance is spread to more harmful bacteria.
C. Risks to environmental quality if released by design or accident?
There are no unreasonable, adverse effects associated with bleach being introduced into the environment. Our iGem team is studying these effects in case users do not follow the proper directions associated with our machine. E. coli K12 has no known way of surviving in the environment and can not produce spores. It is also not able to colonize the gut of an organism which makes it a very low environmental threat.
D. Risks to the security through malicious misuse by individuals, groups or states?
Our iGem team is studying the security threats through malicious misuse of the machine by others. The malicious misuse could be created by almost anyone since they have access to the same materials. For example, malicious misuse of the bleach in the machine is identical the threat created by the misuse of household bleach since the two are the same. Even so, the team is still testing side effects from individuals not following the directions. For instance, after using the bleach from our machine, the individual is supposed to dilute the bleach before disposing of it. Our team is testing the hypothetical situations that arise from the misuse of directions and analyzing the effects.
Specifically, are any of your parts or devices in your project associated (or known to cause): pathogenicity, infectivity, or toxicity? Threats to environmental quality? Security concerns?

2. If yes, explain how you addressed these issues in project design and while conducting laboratory work

From our machine, there are no real environmental threats. Again, this arises from being in the BSL 1 and from the public having access to the same materials we use. Therefore, they are all relatively stable and safe. There is no real toxicity other than bleach, but it can be purchased at many public stores and locations around the world and is only harmful from intentional misuse (ex. ingesting very large quantities, inhaling large amounts). Our machine itself is not pathogenic but if it is able to conjugate with other possibly pathogenic bacteria, then it may cause some degree of harm. If the bacterium is isolated then this will not happen and maybe used safely.


3. Under what biosafety provisions will / do you operate?

Our iGem laboratory at Gaston Day School operates under the Biosafety Level 1. Gaston Day School’s iGem team has biosafety level (BSL) 1 restrictions. BSL 1 usually is present in most high school laboratories. Therefore, there are many restrictions and rules present that limit the amount of harmful materials in the lab. Some regulations include: a sink must be present in the lab, controlled access (locked doors), no eating or drinking in lab area, decontamination of surfaces after lab work, and a lab supervisor. However, most colleges and other iGem teams have a higher BSL which allows for them to possess more hazardous materials, and thus more safety regulations, and more security concerns to address.
A. Does your institution have its own biosafety rules and if so what are they?
At Gaston Day School we do not have a set of our own biosafety rules. In saying this, we do follow all of the regulations and rules from BSL 1 and operate under the supervision of our advisor, Ms. Anne Byford, who has much knowledge in the biological field.
B. Does your institution have in Institutional Biosafety Committee or equivalent group? If yes, have you discussed your project with them? Describe any concerns or changes that were made based on this review.
All of our iGem projects at Gaston Day School are approved by the Head of the School, Dr. Richard Rankin, the Head of Middle and Upper School, Mr. Tim Tinnesz, and lastly the Board of Directors to ensure the safety of our team and school.
C. Will / did you receive any biosafety and / or lab training before beginning your project? If so, describe this training.
Our team has received biosafety and lab training from our advisor, Ms. Anne Byford. She has also supervised and gone through the specific methods and processes we use to isolate, cut, ligate, and view the DNA used to create our bacterium. This also includes proper lab etiquette and how to use equipment such as a microcentrifuge, pipettes, and gel electrophoresis boxes.
D. Does your country have national biosafety regulations or guidelines? If so, provide a link to them online if possible.
Yes, the United States of America’s biosafety regulations are controlled by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). The link is below.


4. OPTIONAL QUESTION: Do you have any other ideas on how to deal with safety or security issues that could be useful for future iGem competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?

Safety is the most important part of the competition. Safety must be stressed upon and needs to be a priority in all labs. To help with this, each team / advisor should have to fill out a survey / worksheet that measures the safety in their lab and also makes sure that they are staying within the regulations of their BSL. Also, photos should be submitted of the lab to show that they have the proper safety regulation and requirements.



Citations:

1. http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1194947350070

2. http://epa.gov/biotech_rule/pubs/fra/fra004.htm

3. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/0029fact.pdf

4. http://epa.gov/biotech_rule/pubs/fra/fra004.htm

5. http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf pages 30-33.

6. http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/ and http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf