Team:UANL Mty-Mexico/Human Practices/Safety

Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of researcher safety, public safety, or environmental safety? Our project does not raise any safety issues, we are working with E. coli strains that are specifically weakened for laboratory use. In this project we mostly work with BioBricks, and we are following iGEM-HQ recommendations in order to prevent any risk. Nevertheless, we take some safety precautions while working with especial situations: While using ethidium bromide to stain DNA, we have a reserved area to do this, it is well indicated and we use the proper protection to handle this material. While observing a stained gel of DNA with UV-light, we use especial protection for the eyes. While managing electric circuits, we always use the appropriate tool and take especial cares to prevent any accident. We do not consider our project represents any safety risk for the public. As we mentioned above, we are working with weakened E. coli strains and what we are constructing with BioBricks is not a dangerous application of them. And, to mention, these constructions we are doing do not represent risk for healthy on any human. In addition, we would like to say our project aims to finally produce non-harmful proteins that does not represent any risk not even in cases of horizontal transfer, therefore it doesn't compromise at environmental safety level. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues? Our project is mostly based in the use of BioBricks already listed in the Registry of Standard Biological Parts. Nevertheless, the BioBricks we are constructing do not represent any safety issues for public nor environment. 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? Dr. Lydia G Rivera Morales, in charge of biosafety matters at the School of Biology at UANL and certified by the Asociación Mexicana de Bioseguridad y Biocustodio (amexbio.org), approves our project on this area. She recommends to follow biosafety level 1 and 2 standard safety precautions, qualifying our project as not dangerous.

Our project does not imply any additional risk to common laboratory work at any area, as "work is done with defined and characterized strains of viable microorganisms not known to consistently cause disease in healthy adult humans". Nevertheless, biosafety level 1 precautions are being fulfilled during wet-experiments as we are conscious there are common risks at any lab. Hazardous but common chemicals at the lab, such as Ethide Bromide and UV radiation, are handled with proper care and pertinent protection to minimize potential risks.

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? No. Although bacteria carrying multiple antibiotic-resistance are being handled, they are all non-pathogenic E. coli K12 substrains. b. Risks to the safety and health of the general public if released by design or accident? No. Even if some bacteria used in the project have temporary multiple antibiotic resistances, they are all weakened strains that cannot survive outside the lab. c. Risks to environmental quality if released by design or accident? No. Besides multiple antibiotic resistance, our project does not involve the production of any hazardous nor potentially harmful substances. d. Risks to security through malicious misuse by individuals, groups or states? No, we cannot think in any possible way our project could be misused for harmful purposes. It is intended to be a scientific proof of concept only, and later applications of the concept do not pose any potential risk we can think of. Please explain your responses (whether yes or no) to these questions. Specifically, are any parts or devices in your project associated with (or known to cause): - Pathogenicity, infectivity, or toxicity? No, none of the substances produced during the project are pathogenic, nor toxic nor infective. - Threats to environmental quality? No. Our project does not involve the production of any hazardous nor potentially harmful substances. - Security concerns? No. Our project does not involve the production of any hazardous nor potentially harmful substances. Under what biosafety provisions will / do you operate? a. Does your institution have its own biosafety rules and if so what are they? Provide a link to them online if possible. We operate under CDC's biosafety rules in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf), on which our School rules are currently based (a biosafety manual is under construction). b. Does your institution have an Institutional Biosafety Committee or equivalent group? If yes, have you discussed your project with them? Yes. Dr. Lydia G Rivera Morales, in charge of biosafety matters at the School of Biology at UANL and certified by the Asociación Mexicana de Bioseguridad (www.amexbio.org), approves our project on this area. She recommends to follow biosafety level 1 standard safety precautions, qualifying our project as not dangerous. Describe any concerns or changes that were made based on this review. We have passed through our project step by step, and came to realize it does not pose any significant risk. c. Will / did you receive any biosafety and/or lab training before beginning your project? If so, describe this training. Yes. All of us attended a biosafety course before starting the laboratory work, which makes part of the common curricula of every career at the School of Biology. Standard biosafety rules concerning possible laboratory risks, biosafety levels and its corresponding precautions were reviewed during the subject. d. Does your country have national biosafety regulations or guidelines? If so, provide a link to them online if possible. Yes. The following laws and rules set the main regulations in our country concerning biological research: Ley de Bioseguridad de Organismos Genéticamente Modificados (Biosafety Law for Genetically Modified Organisms) http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/LBOGM.pdf Reglamento de la Ley General para la Prevención y Gestión Integral de los Residuos. (General Law for Residues Comprehensive Prevention and Management's Guideline) http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/regley/Reg_LGPGIR.pdf Ley General del Equilibrio Ecológico y la Protección al Ambiente (General Law for Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection) http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/pdf/148.pdf