Team:OhioState/Safety

Online Safety Training Required for Experimentation in a BSL2 Lab

  • HIPAA Privacy and Security
  • HIPAA Privacy and Research Basic Requirements (Code Silver Preparedness, Compliance and Integrity Program, Emergency Preparedness, Fire Safety, Hazard Communication, Understanding the Sexual Misconduct Policy, Infection Prevention, Patient Safety, Medical Center Security In Service)
  • Institutional Data Policy
  • Introduction to Cultural Sensitivity
  • Report = Support: Identifying and Responding to Sexual Misconduct
  • Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
  • OSU Financial Conflict of Interest Screening/Disclosure (eCOI)
  • Biological Safety Training for BSL2
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Initial Training
  • Infectious Waste Disposal
  • Occupational Health & Safety
  • Building Emergency Action Plan (BEAP)
  • Research Safety
  • Lab Standard Training
  • Read MI&I Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
  • Read Lab Specific Exposure Control Plan (ECP).

Safety

After discussions with Dr. Chris Taylor at OSU, along with other professors, we came to the conclusion that a kill-switch was necessary for regulatory reasons, and had to involve turning our bug into a metabolic auxotroph. Part of the concern for gene transfer is assuaged by the fact that our organism will not easily transform such a large-intact gene cluster to other organisms. In fact, it should not be able to. The mini-CTX1 is designed to integrate into the chromosome, so plasmid stability does not need to be a concern.

There is also the concern that the bug will escape the roots and colonize other ecosystems. This is unlikely for a few reasons which have been considered by the team. The first is that a very low oxygen concentration is needed for these bugs to grow. Oxygen inhibits the nitrogenase, and therefore disrupts the system. Outside the roots, the optimal microaerophilic conditions are no longer available and the bug will die. In addition, we have considered making the bug a shikimate auxotroph, so that it is unable to survive without getting shikimate. Shikimate would be obtained from the plant, and as a precursor to amino acids is very important. This shikimate source would be unavailable to microbes that escape, and therefore the microbes would die.

We have also decided to avoid using pathogenic chassis like P. aeruginosa, and have stuck with other colonizers of plants that offer far less of a risk to humans. Generally, many Pseudomonas species make good colonizing candidates, so it is up to us to pick the safest option available.

@igem.osu

@igem_osu

igem.osu@gmail.com

IGEM at Ohio State