Safety
Safety and Security Hub
Welcome to the 2018 Safety and Security Hub!
iGEM expects all teams to demonstrate to iGEM HQ, the wider community, and to anyone interested how you are working safely and securely. Teams do this by thinking carefully about and managing any risks to yourselves, your colleagues, community, or the environment. You need to continue to think about risks throughout your project and revisit these issue as your plans change. We also want you to think about any risks should your project ever become a product.
We expect everyone involved with iGEM to act responsibly throughout the competition. Please read our Responsibilities page for more information on the roles and responsibilities of team members, instructors, and what you can expect from iGEM's Safety and Security Committee.
To assist in addressing safety and security risks, we have developed clear rules and policies that need to be followed. To help you understand what we are asking you to do and why, we have also developed tools, guidance and support to help you. To make it easier to provide the types of information needed, below you will find the forms to be completed after your planning stage, whenever you want to use something not on our White List, and before the Jamboree. To support you working safely and securely, iGEM has a dedicated committee made up from experts around the world.
Working Safely and Securely in iGEM
Introduction
In iGEM, we have clear expectations for teams when it comes to safety and security, including for Project Design, Laboratory Work, and Shipment Practices.
Safety Policies
iGEM projects are at the forefront of what is technologically possible and often run into important policy issues. In 2018 iGEM has clarified its positions on gene drives, antimicrobial resistance, use of animals, parts from risk group 4 organisms and deletions as modifications.
Keep it in the lab
iGEM teams should not release any genetically modified organisms or their products outside the lab (or put them in people). See the Do Not Release policy for more information on complying with laws, being responsible and what constitutes a release.
Safety and security rules
- Teams must provide information in the Safety Form, complete a Check-In Form before using parts and organisms not on the White List , and submit an animal use request form before using vertebrates, and have your Instructor or Primary Contact sign off your Safety and Security information. All deadlines for providing this information must be met.
- Teams must be in full compliance with iGEM's safety and security policies.
- Teams must work in the biosafety level appropriate for their project. If your project involves organisms and parts that can be used safely in a BSL1 lab, you should not work at higher containment levels. If this is not possible an explanation must be provided in the Safety Form
- Teams must follow iGEM shipment requirements when submitting samples
- Teams must follow all biosafety rules of their institution and all biosafety laws of their country
- Teams cannot conduct work with Risk Group 3 or 4 organisms
- Teams cannot conduct research in a Safety Level 3 or 4 laboratory
- Teams cannot conduct work with parts from a Risk Group 4 organism
- Teams cannot release or deploy their project outside of the laboratory at any time during the competition or at the Giant Jamboree
- If you conduct any experiment with human subjects (including non-invasive experiments, such as surveys), you must comply with all rules of your institution/country that govern experiments with human subjects.
NOTE
Failure to meet any of these requirements can lead to immediate disqualification from the competition and referral to the Responsible Conduct Committee.
Tools, Guidance, and Support
General guidelines for working in and outside the lab. These resources can help you understand some of iGEM's policies and rules.
Risk Groups
iGEM teams should use BL1 or BL2 organisms. Teams are not allowed to work with BL3 or BL4 organisms. For more information about Risk Groups, click here.
White List
The White List is a list of allowed organisms that teams can use in iGEM, along with organisms that require teams to contact HQ. For the full list, please click here.
Risk assessment tool
iGEM is working with experts from around the world to create a tool to help identify any risks associated with your project and steps you might take to manage them. This tool can help in completing the required safety and security form.
Ask your Instructors!
Your first resource is always your instructors, advisors, and professors. They have experience working in their own lab facilities, and they know how to work with your university to ensure lab safety and securely. If you have any questions or are having issues email us at safety AT iGEM DOT org. We love hearing from teams!
Working with samples from outside the lab
More and more teams are working with samples from the environment, the food industry or other non-traditional suppliers. To help teams work safely and securely with these samples iGEM has compiled guides and good practices.
Exemplary Projects
Over the years, we have seen many iGEM teams take safety and security seriously in their work. Explore how teams have approached safety in their work.
Safety Forms
These forms allow iGEM to know that you are doing your project safely and securely and that you are following all the rules. If you don't tell us, we don't know. If we don’t know, neither will anyone else. Fill out these forms as completely as possible. Include as much information as you can to demonstrate that your work is safe and secure, that you have identified any risks from your project, and what steps you are taking to manage those risks.
There are two forms that you can fill: The Check-In form, and the Safety Form.
- We encourage STUDENTS, instead of instructors, to complete these forms.
- You will need an Instructor or PI to sign and submit the Safety Form by the second deadline, before the Giant Jamboree.
- While you type, the forms will automatically save your answers.
Complying with the safety requirements is a condition of competing at iGEM - that includes providing all the information in this form by the relevant deadlines. Failure to do so can lead to immediate disqualification from the competition and referral to the Responsible Conduct Committee.
Safety Check-In Form
Opens: TBD
Any team that plans to acquire or use any organism/part that is NOT on the White List must submit a Check-In form first.
Check-Ins allow the iGEM Safety Committee to help you ensure that you will work safely with these riskier organisms/parts.
Note that there is no deadline for Check-In forms, they can be created and edited as needed throughout the season.
Safety Form
Opens: TBD
All teams are required to fill the Safety Form.
Deadlines
Complete by June 29, 2018 11:59PM EST
- Part 1.1: Contact
- Part 1.2: About our Lab
- Part 1.3: About our Project
Complete and submit by September 7, 2018 11:59PM EST
- Part 2.1: New Parts
- Part 2.2: Sign Off submitted by the Instructor or PI