Safety
Chassis organisms
For the purpose of construction of our circuit, we used E. coli DH5 α as our chassis organism. For testing the circuit in our final chassis organism of choice, we transformed the plasmids into B. subtilis as well. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies Bacillus subtilis as a GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) organism. Both these organisms are generally recognized as safe and can be used in S1 laboratories without problems.
Safe Laboratory Practices
All our experimental work was carried out in DBT-ICT Center for Energy Biosciences, which boasts of state-of-the art equipment for facilitating Microbiological research. As a responsible team, we ensured that all safety regulations are complied with and our experimentation does not pose a risk to us and others around us.
Ensuring a contamination Free Environment
Handling of all bacteria was carried out in Biosafety Laminar air flow units. This ensured a contamination free as well as a contained working environment.
Dealing with hazardous materials
Latex gloves and spatulas were used to handle Ethidium Bromide (_ETBr)-containing agarose gels since is carcinogenic. Used gels were put in labelled bags that were handed over to a contractor for disposal by incineration at a municipal facility.Disposal of waste
Please visit the Safety Hub to find this year's safety requirements & deadlines, and to learn about safe & responsible research in iGEM.
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 go beyond the questions on the safety forms, 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.)
Safe Project Design
Does your project include any safety features? Have you made certain decisions about the design to reduce risks? Write about them here! For example:
- Choosing a non-pathogenic chassis
- Choosing parts that will not harm humans / animals / plants
- Substituting safer materials for dangerous materials in a proof-of-concept experiment
- Including an "induced lethality" or "kill-switch" device
Safe Lab Work
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!
Safe Shipment
Did you face any safety problems in sending your DNA parts to the Registry? How did you solve those problems?