Team:DTU-Denmark/Safety
Safety
Regarding the organism
Filamentous fungi form the base of our project, and as mentioned in the project description, they are important producers in the biotechnological industry.
We have chosen to work with Aspergillus niger as it is an important production organism, and the tools required to genetically engineer the organism already exist. The specific strain we are working with, ATCC1015 [1], is classified as Biosafety Level 1, indicating that it is safe to use and handle in the lab. In addition to this declaration, we have performed a safety check-in, as spore-forming fungi are not directly on the whitelist.
Aspergillus spores are airborne and cannot only contaminate other samples but additionally cause aspergillosis. Therefore, anytime we worked with Aspergillus we worked in a biosafety cabinet which was cleaned thoroughly with ethanol before and after work.
Fermentation safety
During the project, we will be using bioreactors to verify our promoters. This introduces new challenges in safely handling our organism and the larger equipment. The production of spores by Aspergillus niger and many other filamentous fungi is dependent on external conditions of the fermentation. That is why, during our work with fermentation, only members who had received training in bioreactors participated in the experiment. These team members wore safety goggles, gloves, and lab coats whenever entering the fermentation platform and made sure that qualified personnel were on-site for help and advice if needed.
