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From 2011.igem.org

SAFETY

In this section we considered and searched possible risks, safety and security concerns related to synthetic biology and our project. We analyzed safety in detail into two main titles. By taking photos and preparing enjoyable questionnaire, we emphasized the bio safety rules in laboratory and by referring to the articles of the authorities in Turkey, we summarized bio safety rules for public security.

BIO SAFETY IN LAB

Bio safety is defined as research protocols for work involving infectious agents, animal use, recombinant DNA and genetically modified materials. There should be a comprehensive safety policy, a safety manual, and supporting programmes for a laboratory organization. There are some potential risks of synthetic biology to human health because of the possible pathogenicity of the examined bacteria and gene transfer from a bacterium to another. We took into consideration the practices of the World Health Organization based on the microbiology risk assesment, laboratory equipment safety, and bio safety and recombinant DNA technology.

DO ANY OF THE NEW BIO BRICK PARTS OR DEVICES THAT WE CREATED THIS YEAR RAISE ANY SAFETY ISSUES?

No, our created and projected BioBricks do not pose any safety concerns.

DID OUR PROJECT IDEAS RAISE SAFETY ISSUES?

Researcher safety

Based on the good laboratory practices, while we are performing each step of our project, we wear lab coats, put on lab glasses and gloves to protect ourselves from the chemicals and masks when required.

Environmental safety

Since we are planning to use methane gas, to ensure both the environmental and researcher safety, we provide required equipments and laboratory conditions.

BIOSAFETY IN PUBLIC

Biosafety Commitee at METU

The Applied Ethical Research Center is founded in December 2000 to make the university and society be aware of ethical concerns,to give debating ability to pre-university and university students about ethical problems, to inform university students about right decision mechanisms, to introduce new lectures about ethical issues into undergraduate curriculum. By these purposes, the committee have hold many conferences about ethics and knowing yourself, the environmental ethics, the medicinal ethics, the media ethics and the working ethics.

The Human Research Ethical Comittee is a sub-comittee of The Applied Ethical Research Center. It deals with whether researchs which need human data are taken with respect to human rights and ethical principles.The comittee takes into consideration that people participated in a research must have rights to know who actually researchers are, what the purpose of research is, what the potential benefits and risks are, what to do actually as a participant. The attendee must be informed about that the research is entirely based on volunteerism and they have rights to quit from research whenever they want without any sanction.

The Biosafety Policy on Genetically Modified Organisms in Turkey

Information Obtain Right Law (4982 numbered) and the law regarding Consumer Protection (Law no 4077) are two laws which regard biosafety in Turkey. The food safety, health and environmental protection, and the rights of public institutions to be informed, are ensured by the relevant Information Obtain Right Law and Consumer Protection Law says that when the goods and services presented to consumers are dangerous for physical and psychological health or the environment, in order to use these products securely, explanatory information and warnings should be written on products or in their manuals. ( Baran, M. & Yılmaz, R.,2008). In addition to these laws, there is a committee named as The Supreme Council for Science and Technology (SCST) takes the role of being the highest ranking Science-Technology-Innovation policy-making body in Turkey. It was established to fulfill the functions like; to assist the government in the determination of long-term science and technology policies, to prepare related plans and programs, to assign tasks to public organs as well as to cooperate with the business enterprise sector in accordance with these plans and programs, to have bills and legislations prepared aiming to develop and increase the effectiveness of the science and technology system. (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, 2011). Beside these arrangements, there is no strict regulation about producing GMMOs. However, we try to follow worldwide biosafety rules as a team.

Project specific safety;

While we proceed the studies containing poisonous gas, we take into consideration the precautions of the researchers who have already studied with poisonous gases. We also use their equipments such as gas mask, glove box,