"
Team:Amsterdam/Project/Safety
From 2011.igem.org
Safety is of primary concern in every profession, including professions in research. Because the iGEM contest inevitably involves genetically modified organisms (GMOs), working safely is of utmost importance to its participants and their environments. The Amsterdam team has taken care to analyse the threats to safety involved with, and putatively caused by, their work. We conclude that, while caution and proper lab procedure should of course be maintained, the safety of the public, the environment, our colleagues and ourselves should be in no significant danger during or following work on the project.
Researcher safety
While the labs in which we work are generally full of chemicals, they are stored securely and at all times are treated with appropriate (pre)caution, as per ML-I regulations. Gloves, labcoats, masks and safety glasses are used to protect against harmful chemicals, and material safety datasheets are available within the lab in printed and digital form.
Public safety
A non-pathogenic strain of E. coli (DH5α) is used in our experiments. It forms no threat to people exposed to it. Note that while plans are being made to characterize the effect of our CryoBricks in species other than E. coli, these other species will be selected for non-pathogenicity.
Environmental safety
Efforts are made to restrain the GMOs we work with to a controlled lab environment. All waste is handled in accordance with general safety regulations. Chemicals are treated as specified by their supplier; organic waste is disposed via biohazard containers, and where appropriate even autoclaved and/or treated with bleach beforehand. The windows are kept closed, and hands are washed upon entering and leaving the lab.
Biosafety at the UvA
One of our chief advisors, Dr. Pernette J. Verschure, is tasked with supervising responsible handling of GMOs, with respect to biosafety, at the Nuclear Organization Group (NOG) of the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences (SILS). Among others, she takes care of the NOG's GMO database, and official registration of GMOs (i.e. GGO 01-045, 01-052 and 02-241). Dr. Verschure is closely involved with the project, attends all our meetings, and keeps an eye out to ensure we maintain a safe working attitude.
But what if...
In the unlikely scenario the precautions described above are insufficient to prevent GMOs from leaving the lab uncontrolled, a safety hazard exists mainly in the shape of horizontal gene transfer. E. coli is adapted to survival in the intestines of endotherms, where increased cold tolerance is not very beneficial. However, it is not unthinkable that an E. coli comprising CryoBricks can transfer these bricks to other bacteria via conjugation. This may grant the recipient an increased cold resistance. Uncontrolled spreading of CryoBricks may enhance various species' ability to survive in various environments, which might have severe consequences.
Note that in order to reduce the environmental impact of a putative CryoBrick-equipped E. coli outbreak, one of our project's goals is to place the entire system under control of an on/off switch. If succesful, cold resistance genes will only be expressed in presence of an external 'on' signal. We feel that such a 'safety catch' should be considered in any experiment involving GMOs, and suggest that each iGEM team discusses their safety guidelines and considerations on their wiki. We hope that, by showing our attitude towards safety on this website, fellow researchers (including other iGEM teams) will share our sense of responsibility, and that any concerns of the public community regarding Synthetic Biology may be alleviated.
