Difference between revisions of "Team:ICT-Mumbai/Safety"

 
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<h1> Safety </h1>
 
<p>Please visit the <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Safety">Safety Hub</a> to find this year's safety requirements & deadlines, and to learn about safe & responsible research in iGEM.</p>
 
  
<p>On this page of your wiki, you should write about how you are addressing any safety issues in your project. The wiki is a place where you can <strong>go beyond the questions on the safety forms</strong>, and write about whatever safety topics are most interesting in your project. (You do not need to copy your safety forms onto this wiki page.)</p>
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<h3>Safe Project Design</h3>
 
  
<p>Does your project include any safety features? Have you made certain decisions about the design to reduce risks? Write about them here! For example:</p>
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<h1> Safety </h1>
  
<ul>
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<h3> Chassis organisms </h3>
<li>Choosing a non-pathogenic chassis</li>
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<p>
<li>Choosing parts that will not harm humans / animals / plants</li>
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For construction of the amplification circuit and all cloning experiments, we used <i>Escherichia coli</i> DH5α. For testing the circuit in our final chassis organism of choice, we transformed the plasmids into <i>Bacillus subtilis</i>. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies both <i>E. coli</i> and <i>B. subtilis</i> as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) organisms, and can be handled in a Biosafety Level 1 facility.
<li>Substituting safer materials for dangerous materials in a proof-of-concept experiment</li>
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</p>
<li>Including an "induced lethality" or "kill-switch" device</li>
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</ul>
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</div>
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<h3>Safe Laboratory Practices</h3>
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<p>
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All our experimental work was carried out at DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences, which boasts of state-of-the art equipment for facilitating microbiological and synthetic biology research. As a responsible team, we ensure that all safety regulations are complied with and our experimentation does not pose a risk to us and others around us.
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<h4>Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)</h4>
<h3>Safe Lab Work</h3>
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<p> Appropriate PPE were used in the lab which include lab coats, closed shoes and safety glasses. </p>
  
<p>What safety procedures do you use every day in the lab? Did you perform any unusual experiments, or face any unusual safety issues? Write about them here!</p>
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<h4>Sterilization</h4>
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<p>All pipette tips, microcentrifuge tubes, media and glassware were autoclaved prior to use.</p>
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<img id="eqp" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/d/db/T--ICT-Mumbai--Safety-Autoclave.jpg"></img>
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<br>
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<br>
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<h4>Ensuring a contamination-free environment</h4>
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<p>Handling of bacteria was done in laminar air flow units. This ensures a contamination-free as well as a contained working environment.</p>
  
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<img id="eqp" src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/1/1a/T--ICT-Mumbai--Safety_LAF.jpg"></img>
  
<h3>Safe Shipment</h3>
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<h4>Dealing with hazardous materials</h4>
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<p>
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Disposable nitrile gloves were used to handle ethidium bromide (EtBr) containing agarose gels as it is a known carcinogen. Used gels as well as EtBr-contaminated pipette tips were put in labelled bags that are handed over to a contractor for disposal by incineration at a municipal facility. A UV-protective face shield was used to view gels using a UV Transilluminator.
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<h4>Disposal of bacterial cultures</h4>
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<p>
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Bacterial cultures, used tips and microfuge tubes were discarded in labelled plastic containers and autoclaved before disposal. Used agar plates were autoclaved before discarding them.
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</p>
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<h3>Institutional Biosafety Committee</h3>
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<p>
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The Institutional Biosafety Committee is responsible for ensuring that safe biological practices are followed in all laboratories in the Institute. The Committee meets twice a year to review and recommend biosafety measures. The Primary PI of the team, Prof. Arvind Lali, is the Member Secretary of the Committee.
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</p>
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<h3>Biosafety regulations in India</h3>
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<p>
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While there are many applications of synthetic biology which can benefit society, there are significant risks
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associated with releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment. But
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risks are ubiquitous and unavoidable. Our primary goal must be minimization of risks. One way
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to manage such risk is governmental oversight <a href="https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2011/369573/"><u>(Dhan Prakash, 2011)</u></a>.
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In India, manufacture, transport, use, and sale of GMOs is approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC). State-, district- and institutional-level committees are tasked with providing information to the GEAC. The Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RDAC) takes note of developments in biotechnology at the national and international levels and prepares suitable recommendations for the government.</p>
  
<p>Did you face any safety problems in sending your DNA parts to the Registry? How did you solve those problems?</p>
 
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Latest revision as of 17:26, 17 October 2018

Simply





Safety

Chassis organisms

For construction of the amplification circuit and all cloning experiments, we used Escherichia coli DH5α. For testing the circuit in our final chassis organism of choice, we transformed the plasmids into Bacillus subtilis. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies both E. coli and B. subtilis as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) organisms, and can be handled in a Biosafety Level 1 facility.

Safe Laboratory Practices

All our experimental work was carried out at DBT-ICT Centre for Energy Biosciences, which boasts of state-of-the art equipment for facilitating microbiological and synthetic biology research. As a responsible team, we ensure that all safety regulations are complied with and our experimentation does not pose a risk to us and others around us.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Appropriate PPE were used in the lab which include lab coats, closed shoes and safety glasses.

Sterilization

All pipette tips, microcentrifuge tubes, media and glassware were autoclaved prior to use.




Ensuring a contamination-free environment

Handling of bacteria was done in laminar air flow units. This ensures a contamination-free as well as a contained working environment.



Dealing with hazardous materials

Disposable nitrile gloves were used to handle ethidium bromide (EtBr) containing agarose gels as it is a known carcinogen. Used gels as well as EtBr-contaminated pipette tips were put in labelled bags that are handed over to a contractor for disposal by incineration at a municipal facility. A UV-protective face shield was used to view gels using a UV Transilluminator.


Disposal of bacterial cultures

Bacterial cultures, used tips and microfuge tubes were discarded in labelled plastic containers and autoclaved before disposal. Used agar plates were autoclaved before discarding them.

Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Institutional Biosafety Committee is responsible for ensuring that safe biological practices are followed in all laboratories in the Institute. The Committee meets twice a year to review and recommend biosafety measures. The Primary PI of the team, Prof. Arvind Lali, is the Member Secretary of the Committee.

Biosafety regulations in India

While there are many applications of synthetic biology which can benefit society, there are significant risks associated with releasing genetically modified organisms into the environment. But risks are ubiquitous and unavoidable. Our primary goal must be minimization of risks. One way to manage such risk is governmental oversight (Dhan Prakash, 2011). In India, manufacture, transport, use, and sale of GMOs is approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC). State-, district- and institutional-level committees are tasked with providing information to the GEAC. The Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RDAC) takes note of developments in biotechnology at the national and international levels and prepares suitable recommendations for the government.