Working Safely

On this page you will find: Introduction, What is safety and security?, Safe and secure project design, Safe and secure lab work, and Safe and Secure Transfers.

iGEM believes in addressing safety and security issues throughout the competition lifecycle. iGEM teams are expected to update and revise their risk assessments as their projects evolve and to review and revise the risk management measures they are using. iGEM's safety and security programme is based around safe and secure Project Design, Laboratory Work, and Transfer Practices.

What is safety and security?

Safe and secure project design

Be a responsible engineer!

As part of the process of designing your project you need to think about any potential risks to you, your colleagues, communities, or the environment. For example, the 2016 Arizona State team won a Safety and Security Commendation for developing a white paper on context specific risks.

You will need to identify what procedures, practices or containment measures are needed to manage those risks. For example, the 2012 Paris Bettencourt team won a Safety and Security Commendation for developing a three-level containment system. Members of our community have reviewed some useful tools, such as biosafety systems constructed, either to prevent survival of bacteria outside the lab or to hinder horizontal or vertical gene transfer.

You might need to redesign your projects to avoid some of those risks. For example, the 2014 Aachen team won a Safety and Security Commendation for designing safety into their project and demonstrating their precautions worked.

You might need to think about how others might misuse your project to cause harm. For example, the 2018 Bielefeld-CeBiTec team won a Safety and Security Commendation for considering how their project to reclaim previous metals from discarded electronics could be misused to damage electronics still in use.

To support you, we provide guidance and tools on risk assessment. You can find links to external resources and we are working with experts around the world to create our own risk assessment tool.

You need to record the risks you identify and the measures you are using to manage them in your Safety and Security Form. As your project evolves, the possible risks connected to it can also change. You will need to review and update your Safety and Security Form regularly. This is why is the form is considered a work in progress until it is submitted by your PI prior to the Jamboree.

You will also need to think carefully about what would happen if you completely "finished" your project, and turned it into a product that real people use. What effects might it have in the real world?

Consider these questions, and consider how you might modify your project design in response to these real-world issues. Even if you cannot think of a good modification, you can discuss the problem with others, and propose future experiments to find a good solution.

Safe and secure lab work

All biological lab work, even simple experiments, carries some risk to the experimenter. To reduce these risks, iGEM teams MUST follow all of iGEM's safety and security rules. You should work in properly equipped facilities and use standard lab safety techniques. Teams should also consider the organisms and parts they will work with and the activities they plan to undertake. Teams should think about hazards associated with organisms or parts by themselves or in combination. Teams wishing to use any organism or part, or to undertake activities not on the White List, will need to use a Check-In form to get permission from the Safety and Security Committee before starting work. We encourage iGEM teams to pursue ambitious projects and to reduce risks by using safer substitutes for more dangerous organisms/parts.

Simply following national or institutional rules and regulations is a minimal requirement. We expect teams to go above and beyond in demonstrating their commitments to responsible and ethical conduct. For example, for teams that do not have established review committees at their institutions (e.g. some community lab teams), we expect them to consult with the international and national policies and other resources and experts linked on the Safety Hub and Human Practices Hub (see the ‘How to Succeed’ section of the Hub).

Working Safely and Securely with Organisms

Microorganisms are generally classified into four Risk Groups, according to how dangerous they are to humans. The majority of iGEM teams use Risk Group 1 organisms, such as yeast or E. coli K-12. A few teams use Risk Group 2 organisms, such as human cell lines. iGEM teams are not permitted to use Risk Group 3 or 4 organisms, or to work in Safety Level 3 or 4 laboratories.

Appropriate safety precautions depend on the Risk Group of the organisms you work with. Choose an appropriate lab facility and use the correct protective equipment for the organisms you use in your project.

Read the page about Risk Groups and Safety Levels for more detail, including how to find out which Risk Group an organism is in.

Working safely and securely with parts

When you work with biological parts, you must consider the function of each part to determine whether and how you can handle it safely. We encourage iGEM teams to avoid the use of dangerous parts and to seek safer alternatives.

iGEM puts Red Flags on certain parts in the Registry, which present safety and security risks beyond what is normal for the Registry. Any part with a Red Flag requires a Check-In before you acquire or use that part. Be extra careful when handling these parts, and consult with your team instructors to determine if you need any additional safety precautions.

Here is a complete list of all parts that have Red Flags.

Safe and Secure Transfers

Transfers can take different forms. Once you have completed your project you will need to transfer physical results back to iGEM (such as shipping your part samples to the registry). You will also transfer the results of your work to the iGEM community through your wiki, poster and presentation. Throughout your project you might also be transferring data, information and knowledge on both biological engineering and your project outside the iGEM community. It is important that your think about safety and security whenever transferring materials or information.

Safe and Secure Shipment

Protect your part sample submissions from delays and blockages!

iGEM teams and the Registry frequently exchange samples of DNA through the mail. Although these shipments are generally not dangerous, they are still governed by national and international laws. iGEM teams should learn how to ship DNA samples safely and legally, and learn which samples should not be shipped.

Safe and Secure Communication

Thinking about risks from accidental or deliberate harm when communicating about your work helps make you a responsible biological engineer! There is a very close connection between your safety and security work and your human practices work.

Some teams have included details on how they addressed safety and security concerns in their talks, posters and wikis. For example the 2017 Wageningen UR team won a Safety and Security Prize for how they addressed these issues in their presentation and poster.

Other teams have put safety or security at the core of their project. For example, the 2011 IIT Madras team won a Safety and Security Commendation for experimental work to develop markers other than antibiotic resistance.

Some teams have developed specific outreach materials, or tools for the iGEM community, on safety and security issues. For example the 2015 Bielefeld-CeBiTec team won a Safety and Security Commendation for their report on the dual-use nature of advanced biotechnology.