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Safety and Security Hub

Welcome to the Safety and Security Hub!

iGEM expects all teams to demonstrate to iGEM HQ, the wider community, and to anyone interested how you are working safely and securely. Teams do this by thinking carefully about and managing any risks to yourselves, your colleagues, community, or the environment. You need to continue to think about risks throughout your project and revisit these issue as your plans change. We also want you to think about any risks should your project ever become a product.

Note

To help teams work safely and securely, we have clear rules and policies that need to be followed. We have developed tools to help you understand what we are asking you to do and why. We have created forms to make it easier to provide the information needed after your planning stage, whenever you want to use something not on our White List, and before the Jamboree. To help you, we also have a dedicated Safety and Security Committee made up from experts around the world.

Safety and Security

We expect everyone involved with iGEM to act responsibly throughout the competition. Considering safety and security is an important component of responsible research and innovation.

Working safely and securely

Find our more about safety and security in project design, laboratory work, and transfer practices.

WORKING SAFELY

Safety and Security Rules

Find out the safety and security rules all teams must follow.

SAFETY & SECURITY RULES

Safety and Security Policies

Find out about iGEM's policies on the use of humans, animals, anti-microbial resistance, gene drives, and more

SAFETY & SECURITY POLICIES

Keep it in the lab

Find out more about keeping modified organisms in the lab and how you might take their products outside.

DO NOT RELEASE

What I have to do

Everyone has a role to play. Find out more what is expected from team members, instructors and our Committee.

ROLES

Safety and Security Committee

Find out more about the experts from around the world that helps keep iGEM safe and secure.

COMMITTEE

Tools

Guidance and support to help you work safely and securely inside and outside the lab. These resources can help you understand our policies and rules.

Risk Groups

iGEM's rules and policies talk about risk groups and biosafety levels. These are used to help understand what risks might be involved in a project and how they might be managed.

RISK GROUPS

White List

The White List provides details of organisms, parts, and activities teams can use in iGEM, along with those which require prior approval.

WHITE LIST

Risk assessment tool

iGEM is working with experts from around the world on a tool to help identify and manage any risks associated with a project. This tool can help in complete the safety and security form.

RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL

Working with samples from outside the lab

More and more teams are working with samples from the environment, the food industry or other non-traditional suppliers. iGEM has compiled guides and good practices for working with these samples.

SAMPLES

Exemplary Projects

Over the years, we have seen many iGEM teams take safety and security seriously in their work. Explore how teams have won awards and prizes for safety and security.

EXAMPLES

Ask your Instructors!

Your first resource is always your instructors, advisors, and professors. They have experience working in your lab and know your local rules. If you are having issues email us at safety AT igem DOT org. We love hearing from teams!

Forms

These forms are how teams demonstrate they are doing their project safely and securely. Teams must fill out these forms as completely as possible - explaining any risks associated with the project and what steps have been taken to manage them.

We encourage STUDENTS, instead of instructors, to complete these forms.
An Instructor or PI will need to sign and submit (a) the Safety and Security Form by the second deadline before the Giant Jamboree, and (b) any animal use form.
While you type, the forms will automatically save your answers.

Safety Forms note

Complying with the safety and security requirements is a condition of competing at iGEM - that includes providing all the information in this form by the relevant deadlines. Failure to do so can lead to immediate disqualification from the competition and referral to the Responsible Conduct Committee.

Safety Form

All teams are required to fill the Safety Form.

Due Date: June 28, 11:59PM EDT
An initial version of this form, with as much information as possible, is to be provided by the team.

Due Date: September 13, 11:59PM EDT
A final version of this form must be signed off by the PI.

SAFETY FORM

Check-In Form

Any team that plans to acquire or use any organism/part that is NOT on the White List must submit a Check-In form first. Once the iGEM Safety Committee has approved your Check-In by email, you may begin your work.

CHECK-IN FORM

Animal Use Check-In Form

If your team is using any vertebrates (e.g. rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters), or higher order invertebrates (e.g. cuttlefish, octopus, squid, lobster) you will need to complete a Check-In form to tell us about any risks associated with your work and how you will be managing them.

ANIMAL USE FORM

Safety