Team:Victoria Wellington/Safety
Team
Victoria
Safety
Part 1: Overview
1. Please upload a photo or two of your lab to the iGEM 2019 server (include your team name in the file name), preferably showing the relevant safety features and paste the link here:
Links
2. Describe the goal of your project: what is your engineered organism supposed to do? Please include specific technical details and names of important parts.
The bacteria E. coli will be engineered for enzyme production. We will synthetically design the enzyme-producing genes to oxidise glycerol to CO2 more efficiently. The genes will then be inserted to the bacteria for enzyme expression. The enzymes can then be extracted to build the EFC. We will attempt to improve the catalytic efficiency and half-life of our enzymes using the process of error prone PCR. By copying our gene repeatedly with a process that makes mistakes, we hope to introduce beneficial mutations into the genes, in turn creating more valuable enzymes. We will detect these beneficial mutations with screens.
Part 2: Identifying possible risks
3. Which whole organisms, including viruses and cell lines, are you planning to use or using in your project?
Not applicable
4. What risks could these organisms pose to you or your colleagues in the laboratory, or to your community or the environment if they escape the lab?
Not applicable
5. What organisms are you using as chasses in your project?
E. coli (DH5-Alpha, BL21)
6. What risks could your chassis pose to you or your colleagues in the laboratory, or to your community or the environment if they escape the lab?
Infectious agent: Acute, profuse, watery diarrhea; Low-grade fever with nausea and vomiting may be present.
7. As part of your project, are you are planning to make / have made new parts or substantively changed existing parts in the Registry.
Yes.
8. Part information is submitted in a spreadsheet.
Can be found on the registry.
9. What experiments will you do with your organisms and parts?
We want to utilise oxalate decarboxylase from Bacillus subtillis, formate dehydrogenase from Therums filiformis and Thermothelomyces thermophila, and NADH dehydrogenase from Moorella thermoacetica. We will run tests to find out the enzymes' capabilities to oxidise glycerol, then improve on its efficiency.
10. What risks could arise from these experiments?
No significant hazards analysed
11. Imagine that your project was fully developed into a real product that real people could use. How would people use it?
It is a fuel cell so could have personal or commercial applications
12. What safety, security or ethical risks would be involved with such a use?
The product does not have live organisms, simply an concoction of chemicals and enzymes. The contents of the battery would need to be replaced from time to time depending on the half life of the enzymes, so users would need to be aware of how to do this safely. Or the product could be exchanged like an LPG tank.
Part 3: Managing the risks you have identified
13. How will experts overseeing your project help to manage any of the risks you identified in this form?
At the beginning of project each team member did a lab safety training and induction. The instructors are postgraduate students who have been working with the organisms and most experiment work will be done for the project. At least one instructor is always present in the lab along with the team members to oversee the experiments being carried out.
14. What rules or guidance cover your work which could help to manage any of the risks you identified in Part 2 of this form (in particular Question 10)?
15. Have your team members received any safety training?
- Yes, we have already received safety training.
- Yes, we have already received security training.
16. Please select the topics that you learned about (or will learn about) in your safety training.
- Lab access and rules (including appropriate clothing, eating and drinking, etc.
- Responsible individuals (such as lab or departmental specialist or institutional biosafety officer)
- Differences between biosafety levels
- Biosafety equipment (such as biosafety cabinets)
- Good microbial technique (such as lab practices)
- Disinfection and sterilization
- Emergency procedures
- Transport rules
- Physical biosecurity
- Personnel biosecurity
- Chemicals, fire and electrical safety
17. Which work areas do you use / are you using to handle biological materials?
Please check all the containment provisions you are using. If you are using more than one space please check all that apply and note this in the other work area box.
No lab work (e.g. software project)
Open bench
Biosafety cabinet (please note there are important differences between biosafety cabinets and laminar flow hoods / clean benches. iGEM encourages the use of biosafety cabinets but discourages the use of laminar flow hoods or clean benches)
Specialist greenhouse
Specialist animal house
Specialist insect facility
Other work area. Please describe:
Unknown. Please comment:
18. What is the biosafety Level of your work space?
PC2 (BSL2)
19. What other risk management tools will cover you work?
In general just asking other more experienced individuals in the lab if unsure of something. Also ensuring our bench space is clean and organised (including labelling everything!)
20. How will the rules, training, containment and other procedures and practices help to manage any of the risks you identified in Part 2 of this form (in particular Question 10)?
We only use non-pathogenic strains, no animal testings or using human cells. Appropriate wear of personal protective equipment in the lab. Infectious biologicals used in appropriate containment and as per the School of Biological Sciences PC2 compliance manual. Chemicals are segregated, labelled and used as detailed in the School of Biological Sciences HSNO Exempt Laboratories Compliance Manual (copy kept in HSNO folder) i.e. fumehoods. Labels available to identify HSNO classification, concentration and user of any hazardous chemicals.
Part 4: Compliance with iGEM's rules and policies
21. Are you planning to/ have released any organism or product derived from your project?
No
22. Are you planning to use, or using any animals (including insects and invertebrates) not on the Whitelist?
No
23. Are you planning to use / have used any vertebrates (e.g. rats, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters) or higher order invertebrates (e.g. cuttlefish, octopus, squid, lobster)?
No
24. Are you planning to use, or using any parts not on the Whitelist?
No
25. Are you planning to carry out any of the activities not on the Whitelist?
No
26. Are you planning to use, or using any parts or organisms obtained from outside the lab or regular suppliers?
No