Team:SHSBNU China/Safety

Section Sample

Safety

I. Overview

This year's SHSBNU_China Team is trying to develop a highly efficient, low-cost and modularized biomaterial to decompose azo dye, the Biofilm x Laccase system, using the methods of synthetic biology. Here we wish to share our experiences with safety control.

II. Safe Project Design

Biofilm base CotA operator, produced in this project, was secreted by genetically modified strains of host bacteria E. coli. As we developed a water-filter which prevents bacteria from leakage, the recombinant DNA will not flow out into the environment. Even if a small fraction of CotA-producing bacteria leaked out, it would not express any protein because of the shortage of IPTG. In addition, our filter structure contains sterilizing device which can keep biofilm from leakage. Thus, there is no doubt that our product is safe and reliable.

a. Safe Lab Work

According to the requirements of iGEM policy, we performed safely in every experiment followed by some basic regulations as follows:

  • Thorough experiment and regulations should be understood by participants.
  • Steps with any probability of contamination should be performed in a biosafety cabinet.
  • Duplicating a key to the laboratory without permission is strictly prohibited.
  • Wear rubber gloves during all experimenters.

    • "Haocong Li is doing experimental operation following rules"

    "Fangning Luo is doing experimental operation following rules"

  • Sanitize the lab using UV-light every day.
  • Fire, electric heaters, and microwave ovens should remain attended while operating.
  • All liquid and solid waste containing living organisms must be daily autoclaved.
  • The last person to leave the lab should make sure that water, electricity, gas, and air conditioners have been turned off, and doors and windows have been locked before leaving.

    • III. Safe Shipment

    We believes that the DNA parts are safe because they encode non-hazardous proteins such as SpyCatcher, SpyTag, biofilm, CotA and their combinations safe to human and eco-system. The DNA parts were safely confined within PCR tubes as the Parts Registry requires.