Difference between revisions of "Team:Newcastle/Safety"

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                     <p style="font-size:100%">Having identified the design parameters for the system, the next stage was to begin ordering parts and putting it together. The system was divided into three independent, functional sub-systems to make the task of assembling the system more manageable and allowing team members to focus on the sub-system that most suited their specialty. These three sub-systems were hardware, software and biological aspects.</p>
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                     <p style="font-size:100%"><b>General Lab Safety</b></p>
                     <p style="font-size:100%">The function of the hardware is to contain the electronics and organisms, power the LED’s/microcontroller and maximise the light available to the plants. Containment is through the use of a sealed box, with a detachable lid for access. This box is glued with tin foil and sprayed black to minimise exchange of light with the environment. Powering the LED’s proved to be more difficult, taking our engineers many days to find the optimal solution. You can find all the grizzly details on this process here. However, essentially the system is powered from a 5V 2.1A AC adapter that plugs straight in to your mains power supply. Alternatively, you can use 4 AA batteries to power the system for short periods of time if necessary. The LED’s are wired in parallel so the same light is provided along the length of the container. This can be seen from images in the Gallery.</p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">We have been working alongside academics at the University while developing our project to ensure we are working safely. </p>
                     <p style="font-size:100%">The purpose of the software is to control the LED’s, by allowing the user to easily adapt features such as light intensity, wavelength and also specify the length of the day/night cycle. For our design, we use the Arduino UNO microcontroller to control these characteristics as it offers a user-friendly interface and is well-suited to our design. You can find all the code laid bare and a guide to the Arduino here.</p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">Dr. Matthew Peake is the Senior Biological Research Technician at Newcastle University and we have been working closely with him to ensure all lab protocols/safety measures are adhered to.</p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">Additionally, we are working with Dr. Vasilios Andriotis who has extensive knowledge on seed biochemistry, especially with Arabidopsis species, and Dr. Maxim Kapralov who currently engaged in research around plant biology and photosynthesis. Dr Maria Del Carmen Montero-Calasanz also has prior experience working with <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp., to aid us in specific areas of the project.</p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">Aseptic technique was used to prevent biocontamination and unintended release of organisms. Lab coats were worn in the lab at all times and were not taken outside of the lab. In addition, all waste was incinerated or autoclaved. The team used non-pathogenic strains of organisms where possible to mitigate the risks identified. </p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%"><b>Endophytic Chassis</b></p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">We are using <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp. (CT 364). Some strains of <i>Pseudomonas</i> species can be opportunistic pathogens after repeated exposure - resulting in infections of the mouth, stomach and lungs; however, the species we are using is not listed as a human pathogen. </p>
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                     <p style="font-size:100%">Kill curves with multiple antibiotics, including chloramphenicol, were produced for <i>Pseudomonas</i> sp., so it was vital the antibiotics were handled according to the COSHH forms. </p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%"><b>Chemotaxis </b></p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">Biological  Hazards: </p>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><i>Escherichia coli</i> (DH5α).</li></ul>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><i>Herbaspirillum seropedicae</i> (Z67).</li></ul>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><i>Azorhizobium caulinodans</i> (ORS571).</li></ul>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><i>Azospirillum brasilense</i> (SP245).</li></ul>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">These are low risk; however, they may have the potential to cause low level, localised changes to soil nitrogen content. We chose non-pathogenic strains of the bacteria.</p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">Hazards of Flavonoids: </p>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li>Naringenin – skin, eye, respiratory irritation.</li></ul>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li>Luteolin – potential skin and eye irritation.</li></ul>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li>Scutelarin – non-hazardous.</li></ul>
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<p style="font-size:100%">To avoid any irritation or inhalation, all handling of the various flavonoids was undertaken in the fume hood. For the weighing of the flavonoids when they are in their powdered form, face masks were worn to minimise the risk of inhalation. The area surrounding was kept vacant to avoid others not wearing masks coming into contact with the powder. Safety glasses were worn to avoid eye irritation, as well as gloves and lab coats to avoid skin irritation. </p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%"><b>Naringenin Operon Development </b></p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">We attempted to introduce genes encoding enzymes of flavonoid biosynthesis into <i>E. coli.</i> We used a non-pathogenic strain of <i>E. coli </i> (DH5α) for this. This involved cloning and transformation using general molecular biology procedures. Chloramphenicol was used for selection of transformants. This is reported as a potential carcinogen so suitable protective equipment was worn when handling it. </p>
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                     <p style="font-size:100%"><b>Electrical Safety – Hardware </b></p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">We have been working alongside qualified technicians within the school of engineering who have provided us with advice and guidance relating to safety throughout each iteration of our design of NH-1. For example, we took a modular approach, making sure to test at each stage for faults such as short circuits or faulty connections and resolving them before moving on to the next component. </p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%"><b>Safe Shipment </b></p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">We are shipping our hydroponic system, NH-1, to Boston for the Giant Jamboree. For this, we ensured it was completely sterilised using ChemGene and 70 % ethanol in order to comply with the iGEM Headquarters safety regulations. Before shipping we carried out final tests and we identified a point within the system that was generating too much heat due to high resistance. As a result, we resoldered a connector to rectify this problem. The hardware was not sent with a power supply so the system was not live, ensuring no electrical risks.</p>
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                    <p style="font-size:100%">We have also shipped DNA to Boston to submit our characterised and improved parts. None of the DNA we submitted posed any risks as we ensured our DNA would comply with shipping restrictions between the UK and US when we designed our parts. To send off the DNA we used the standard submission kit requested by iGEM. </p>
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<h3>Growing in Contained Environments</h3>
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<h3><b>Growing in Contained Environments</b></h3>
                     <p style="font-size:100%"><br>The use of biotechnology to modify plants has become common place in agricultural research - but we have conceptualised this as common place in agricultural practice. (See our human practices). In the context of our project, the purpose of containment is to prevent recombinant DNA from transgenic organisms being transferred to populations outside of our urban farm in Newcastle’s Victoria Tunnel (although the safety principals apply to any contained environments in which our transgenic organisms are present). </p>
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                     <p style="font-size:100%"><br>The use of biotechnology to modify plants has become common place in agricultural research - but we have conceptualised this as common place in agricultural practice. (See our <a href="https://2018.igem.org/Team:Newcastle/Human_Practices" class="black"> Human Practices</a>). In the context of our project, the purpose of containment is to prevent recombinant DNA from transgenic organisms being transferred to populations outside of our urban farm in Newcastle’s Victoria Tunnel (although the safety principals apply to any contained environments in which our transgenic organisms are present). </p>
 
                     <p style="font-size:100%">Genetically engineered organisms are subject to special rules intended to ensure that they are used in a way that does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health - or the environment. In order to design our hydroponic urban farm to meet these biosafety standards, we referred to:</p>
 
                     <p style="font-size:100%">Genetically engineered organisms are subject to special rules intended to ensure that they are used in a way that does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health - or the environment. In order to design our hydroponic urban farm to meet these biosafety standards, we referred to:</p>
  
<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><strong>Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes: A Practical Guide to Containment</strong></li><p><font size="2"><strong>(Traynor, Patricia L., Dann Adair, Ruth Irwin)</strong></p></font>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><strong>Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes: A Practical Guide to Containment [1] </strong><font size="2"><br>(Traynor, Patricia L, Dann Adair, Ruth Irwin) </font>
<br><p>Methods for the safe handling of transgenic materials in contained environment are also described in the National Institutes of Health’s Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines).</p>
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<br>
<li><strong>Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes: A Practical Guide to Containment</strong></li>
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Methods for the safe handling of transgenic materials in contained environment are also described in the National Institutes of Health’s Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines).</li></ul>
<li>No agricultural run-off.</li>
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<p style="font-size:100%"><br>Below we have taken extracts from the guide to containment that we referred to in order to design our own contained system: </p>
<li>Limited need for pesticides and fertilisers.</li>
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<li>Safer crops as there is less risk of contamination.</li>
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<li>Reduced spoilage because of shorter transportation times and reduced handling.</li>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><strong>Elements of containment: </strong>
<li>Less agricultural pollution.</li></ul>
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<br>
                    <p style="font-size:100%">The purpose of the software is to control the LED’s, by allowing the user to easily adapt features such as light intensity, wavelength and also specify the length of the day/night cycle. For our design, we use the Arduino UNO microcontroller to control these characteristics as it offers a user-friendly interface and is well-suited to our design. You can find all the code laid bare and a guide to the Arduino here.</p>
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1. Avoid unintentional transmission of rDNA-containing plant genomes or release of rDNA-derived organisms associated with plants.
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<br>
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2. Minimise the possibility of unanticipated deleterious effects on organisms and ecosystems outside of the experimental facility.
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3. Avoid the inadvertent spread of a serious pathogen from a greenhouse to a local agricultural crop.
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4. Avoid the unintentional introduction and establishment of an organism in a new ecosystem.
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</li></ul>
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<p style="font-size:100%"><br>Having read the guide, we concluded our GMO was classified as <strong>BL2-P</strong>.</p>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><strong>Biosafety Level 2 for Plants (BL2-P)</strong>
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<br>
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"BL2-P is assigned to experiments with transgenic plants and associated organisms, which, if released outside the greenhouse, could be viable in the surrounding environment but would have a negligible impact or could be readily managed. BL2-P is required for transgenic plants that may exhibit a new weedy characteristic or that may be capable of interbreeding with weeds or related species growing in the vicinity."
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<li><strong>Procedures that must be followed for BL2-P:</strong></li>
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<br>
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/f/fc/T--Newcastle--ContainmentRegs3.jpeg" width="350">
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<h3><b>Newcastle's Victoria Tunnel - Retrofitting for Containment</b></h3>
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<p style="font-size:100%"><br>Retrofitting a structurally sound facility to meet BL2-P containment standards is far cheaper than building a new facility. Necessary modifications, if any, are usually simple, straightforward, and involve readily available materials. This is one of the reasons we have proposed a contained environment in the Victoria Tunnel - it is in a prime location running under the city centre whilst being structurally sound and accessible.</p>
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<br>
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<p style="font-size:100%"><br>Physical containment is achieved through making appropriate choices when it comes to facility design and equipment. These choices include: glazing, sealing, screening, air flow system, and other features all affect the degree to which a contained environment is capable of isolating transgenic organisms from the surrounding environment. These systems are also effective in keeping unwanted pests out of the facility.</p>
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/3/30/T--Newcastle--ContainmentRegs1.jpeg" alt="Paris" class="center">
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<h3><b>Layout</b></h3>
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<p style="font-size:100%"><br>When retrofitting to accommodate transgenic materials: traffic patterns, process flow, and security measures should be analysed to determine if the layout should be modified. The configuration should be optimised to provide variable levels of containment and growing conditions, control of access, and ease of movement.</p>
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<p style="font-size:100%">An efficient and manageable layout has an array of small rooms and cubicles opening off one or more common walkways; a compartmentalised arrangement of small rooms allows the facility to provide a variety of containment levels as well as individualised environmental conditions.</p>
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<p style="font-size:100%">A contained environment can be an inhospitable for people and equipment because of the humidity, temperature, light, chemicals, and soil. An enclosed area within or adjacent to the facility, provides cleaner, more comfortable space for offices, labs, equipment, supplies, and control systems.</p>
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<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/7/71/T--Newcastle--VTP1.jpeg" alt="Paris" class="center">
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<h3><b>Additional safety considerations when designing contained environments</b></h3>
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<br>
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<ul style="list-style-type:circle; overflow:visible; display:grid; text-align:left;"><li><strong>Termination and Disposal </strong>
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"To prevent the unintended survival of GMOs outside the contained environment, all experimental materials must be rendered biologically inactive (devitalised) before disposal. Termination procedures for the safe disposal of soil and plant material should be part of the experimental plan for a research project. Devitalisation of plant material and soil should be completed before it leaves a contained facility to go to landfill."
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<br></br>
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<li><strong>Apparel and Hygiene</strong>
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<br>
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"Personnel entering BL1-P and BL2-P facilities may wear their usual street or lab clothing."</li>
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<br>
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<li><strong>Greenhouse Staff</strong>
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<br>
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"All staff should become familiar with any differences between caring for GMOs and conventional plants that may affect their own work. In most cases, a brief orientation session is sufficient to explain the nature of the plants (or other transgenic organisms) and any special practices to be employed when handling or working around them. Both the greenhouse manager and the PI should work with the staff to ensure compliance with safety procedures and standards."
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</li>
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<li><strong>Signage</strong>
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<br>
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"Entryways into BL2-P and higher facilities should be posted with signs indicating that access is limited to authorised personnel only. If the facility uses organisms that pose a risk to the local ecosystem or agriculture, a sign so stating must be placed on the access doors to the facility. A description of the potential risk may be posted on the restricted access sign as long as this is not confidential information. The sign should state the name and telephone number of the responsible individual, the plants in use, and any special requirements for using the area. It may include contact information for the greenhouse manager and others to be called in case of emergency."</li>
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                    <h3 class="subhead">Stage Three</h3>
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                    <h1 class="display-2 display-2--light">Test</h1>
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<br>
                    <font size="4" font face="verdana" font color="green">Substantial time was spent carrying out extensive research, both inside and outside the lab, in order to optimise the system for the target audience. This included speaking with organisations and individuals in industry who are involved with hydroponics-based systems or those who may be interested in working with such a system in the future. Some of the individuals we liaised with include Chris Tapsell, the Research Director of KWS UK, one of the biggest seed companies in the world, and Richard Ballard, co-founder of Growing Underground in London where they hydroponically grow micro greens and salad leaves 33 metres below the ground. These potential clients helped us focus our product so that it can better meet the needs of our clients.</font><br><br>
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<br>
                    <font size="4" font face="verdana" font color="green">In addition to gathering external opinion on our system, we also did our own tests on system performance. This included tests to verify the optimal light intensity, wavelength and positioning. The graph below illustrates how the light intensity (measured in lux) varies over time (in seconds) when the system is operated under various wavelengths of light. The black line indicates the system running with the rainbow function loaded which cyclically varies the light wavelength. As the results showed that blue, red and purple light and provided the most lux we are currently using these in the system but plan to use the rainbow function too in future to see how this affects growth or the aesthetics of the plant.
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                 <h1 class="display-2">References & Attributions</h1>
<img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2018/thumb/b/b4/T--Newcastle--LuxGraph.png/800px-T--Newcastle--LuxGraph.png">
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                        <div class="numbertext">1 / 15</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs produce a variety of wavelengths of light</div>
 
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                        <div class="numbertext">2 / 15</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs produce a variety of wavelengths of light</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs produce a variety of wavelengths of light</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs produce a variety of wavelengths of light</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs produce a variety of wavelengths of light</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs are wired in parallel</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs are wired in parallel</div>
 
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                        <div class="text">The LEDs are wired in parallel</div>
 
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<button class="collapsible">Click for References & Attributions</button>
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<p class="about-para"><font size="2"><strong>Attributions: Sadiya Quazi & Chris Carty</strong><font></p>
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                        <div class="text">Internal circuity is normally hidden but easily accessible</div>
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<p class="about-para"><font size="2">1. Traynor, P. , Adair, D. , Irwin, R. (2001) Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes: A Practical Guide to Containment. Available at: https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/cibiogem/images/cibiogem/comunicacion/Eventos/CIBIOGEM/Taller-Bioseguridad-Cofinamiento/Practical-guide-containment.pdf [Accessed 12/08/2018].<font></p>
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Latest revision as of 01:43, 18 October 2018

Alternative Roots/Hardware

Alternative Roots

Safety

Lab Safety

General Lab Safety

We have been working alongside academics at the University while developing our project to ensure we are working safely.

Dr. Matthew Peake is the Senior Biological Research Technician at Newcastle University and we have been working closely with him to ensure all lab protocols/safety measures are adhered to.

Additionally, we are working with Dr. Vasilios Andriotis who has extensive knowledge on seed biochemistry, especially with Arabidopsis species, and Dr. Maxim Kapralov who currently engaged in research around plant biology and photosynthesis. Dr Maria Del Carmen Montero-Calasanz also has prior experience working with Pseudomonas sp., to aid us in specific areas of the project.

Aseptic technique was used to prevent biocontamination and unintended release of organisms. Lab coats were worn in the lab at all times and were not taken outside of the lab. In addition, all waste was incinerated or autoclaved. The team used non-pathogenic strains of organisms where possible to mitigate the risks identified.

Endophytic Chassis

We are using Pseudomonas sp. (CT 364). Some strains of Pseudomonas species can be opportunistic pathogens after repeated exposure - resulting in infections of the mouth, stomach and lungs; however, the species we are using is not listed as a human pathogen.

Kill curves with multiple antibiotics, including chloramphenicol, were produced for Pseudomonas sp., so it was vital the antibiotics were handled according to the COSHH forms.

Chemotaxis

Biological Hazards:

  • Escherichia coli (DH5α).
  • Herbaspirillum seropedicae (Z67).
  • Azorhizobium caulinodans (ORS571).
  • Azospirillum brasilense (SP245).


These are low risk; however, they may have the potential to cause low level, localised changes to soil nitrogen content. We chose non-pathogenic strains of the bacteria.

Hazards of Flavonoids:

  • Naringenin – skin, eye, respiratory irritation.
  • Luteolin – potential skin and eye irritation.
  • Scutelarin – non-hazardous.

To avoid any irritation or inhalation, all handling of the various flavonoids was undertaken in the fume hood. For the weighing of the flavonoids when they are in their powdered form, face masks were worn to minimise the risk of inhalation. The area surrounding was kept vacant to avoid others not wearing masks coming into contact with the powder. Safety glasses were worn to avoid eye irritation, as well as gloves and lab coats to avoid skin irritation.

Naringenin Operon Development

We attempted to introduce genes encoding enzymes of flavonoid biosynthesis into E. coli. We used a non-pathogenic strain of E. coli (DH5α) for this. This involved cloning and transformation using general molecular biology procedures. Chloramphenicol was used for selection of transformants. This is reported as a potential carcinogen so suitable protective equipment was worn when handling it.

Electrical Safety – Hardware

We have been working alongside qualified technicians within the school of engineering who have provided us with advice and guidance relating to safety throughout each iteration of our design of NH-1. For example, we took a modular approach, making sure to test at each stage for faults such as short circuits or faulty connections and resolving them before moving on to the next component.

Safe Shipment

We are shipping our hydroponic system, NH-1, to Boston for the Giant Jamboree. For this, we ensured it was completely sterilised using ChemGene and 70 % ethanol in order to comply with the iGEM Headquarters safety regulations. Before shipping we carried out final tests and we identified a point within the system that was generating too much heat due to high resistance. As a result, we resoldered a connector to rectify this problem. The hardware was not sent with a power supply so the system was not live, ensuring no electrical risks.

We have also shipped DNA to Boston to submit our characterised and improved parts. None of the DNA we submitted posed any risks as we ensured our DNA would comply with shipping restrictions between the UK and US when we designed our parts. To send off the DNA we used the standard submission kit requested by iGEM.



Real World Safety

Growing in Contained Environments


The use of biotechnology to modify plants has become common place in agricultural research - but we have conceptualised this as common place in agricultural practice. (See our Human Practices). In the context of our project, the purpose of containment is to prevent recombinant DNA from transgenic organisms being transferred to populations outside of our urban farm in Newcastle’s Victoria Tunnel (although the safety principals apply to any contained environments in which our transgenic organisms are present).

Genetically engineered organisms are subject to special rules intended to ensure that they are used in a way that does not pose an unacceptable risk to human health - or the environment. In order to design our hydroponic urban farm to meet these biosafety standards, we referred to:

  • Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes: A Practical Guide to Containment [1]
    (Traynor, Patricia L, Dann Adair, Ruth Irwin)

    Methods for the safe handling of transgenic materials in contained environment are also described in the National Institutes of Health’s Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines).


Below we have taken extracts from the guide to containment that we referred to in order to design our own contained system:

  • Elements of containment:
    1. Avoid unintentional transmission of rDNA-containing plant genomes or release of rDNA-derived organisms associated with plants.
    2. Minimise the possibility of unanticipated deleterious effects on organisms and ecosystems outside of the experimental facility.
    3. Avoid the inadvertent spread of a serious pathogen from a greenhouse to a local agricultural crop.
    4. Avoid the unintentional introduction and establishment of an organism in a new ecosystem.


Having read the guide, we concluded our GMO was classified as BL2-P.

  • Biosafety Level 2 for Plants (BL2-P)
    "BL2-P is assigned to experiments with transgenic plants and associated organisms, which, if released outside the greenhouse, could be viable in the surrounding environment but would have a negligible impact or could be readily managed. BL2-P is required for transgenic plants that may exhibit a new weedy characteristic or that may be capable of interbreeding with weeds or related species growing in the vicinity."
  • Procedures that must be followed for BL2-P:


Newcastle's Victoria Tunnel - Retrofitting for Containment


Retrofitting a structurally sound facility to meet BL2-P containment standards is far cheaper than building a new facility. Necessary modifications, if any, are usually simple, straightforward, and involve readily available materials. This is one of the reasons we have proposed a contained environment in the Victoria Tunnel - it is in a prime location running under the city centre whilst being structurally sound and accessible.



Physical containment is achieved through making appropriate choices when it comes to facility design and equipment. These choices include: glazing, sealing, screening, air flow system, and other features all affect the degree to which a contained environment is capable of isolating transgenic organisms from the surrounding environment. These systems are also effective in keeping unwanted pests out of the facility.

Paris

Layout


When retrofitting to accommodate transgenic materials: traffic patterns, process flow, and security measures should be analysed to determine if the layout should be modified. The configuration should be optimised to provide variable levels of containment and growing conditions, control of access, and ease of movement.

An efficient and manageable layout has an array of small rooms and cubicles opening off one or more common walkways; a compartmentalised arrangement of small rooms allows the facility to provide a variety of containment levels as well as individualised environmental conditions.

A contained environment can be an inhospitable for people and equipment because of the humidity, temperature, light, chemicals, and soil. An enclosed area within or adjacent to the facility, provides cleaner, more comfortable space for offices, labs, equipment, supplies, and control systems.

Paris

Additional safety considerations when designing contained environments


  • Termination and Disposal
    "To prevent the unintended survival of GMOs outside the contained environment, all experimental materials must be rendered biologically inactive (devitalised) before disposal. Termination procedures for the safe disposal of soil and plant material should be part of the experimental plan for a research project. Devitalisation of plant material and soil should be completed before it leaves a contained facility to go to landfill."

  • Apparel and Hygiene
    "Personnel entering BL1-P and BL2-P facilities may wear their usual street or lab clothing."

  • Greenhouse Staff
    "All staff should become familiar with any differences between caring for GMOs and conventional plants that may affect their own work. In most cases, a brief orientation session is sufficient to explain the nature of the plants (or other transgenic organisms) and any special practices to be employed when handling or working around them. Both the greenhouse manager and the PI should work with the staff to ensure compliance with safety procedures and standards."

  • Signage
    "Entryways into BL2-P and higher facilities should be posted with signs indicating that access is limited to authorised personnel only. If the facility uses organisms that pose a risk to the local ecosystem or agriculture, a sign so stating must be placed on the access doors to the facility. A description of the potential risk may be posted on the restricted access sign as long as this is not confidential information. The sign should state the name and telephone number of the responsible individual, the plants in use, and any special requirements for using the area. It may include contact information for the greenhouse manager and others to be called in case of emergency."







References & Attributions

Attributions: Sadiya Quazi & Chris Carty

1. Traynor, P. , Adair, D. , Irwin, R. (2001) Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes: A Practical Guide to Containment. Available at: https://www.conacyt.gob.mx/cibiogem/images/cibiogem/comunicacion/Eventos/CIBIOGEM/Taller-Bioseguridad-Cofinamiento/Practical-guide-containment.pdf [Accessed 12/08/2018].