Team:Aberdeen Scotland/Safety

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Our iGEM team genetic engineering activities were regulated by our Institute's Advisory Committee on Genetic Manipulation (ACGM). We were required to submit a complete project description, which included a statement of the potential for the engineered organisms to cause harm, and precautions that would be taken to mitigate the risks involved with the project. from the genetic safety document, we were asked for instance
Potential for harm;

As commonly-used reporters, fluorescent proteins, translational repressors and native yeast enzymes, expression of the genes listed is unlikely in the extreme to endow either E.coli or S.cerevisiae with any harmful properties. .None of the gene products is known to be toxic. Antibiotic resistance markers, reporter genes, fluorescent proteins and RNA or DNA binding/repressor proteins listed likewise have no known harmful properties, and are in widespread established use in molecular biology.

from the genetic safety document, we were then asked;
How might the GMM be a hazard to human health? Evaluate the severity of the harmful effects if they were to occur.

E. coli K12 and its derivatives are multiply disabled and are designated as Class 1 organisms. Good microbiological practice will be followed when using these organisms and over many years of use, no adverse effects have been noted.

Should transfer occur, the nature of all of the genes being manipulated (housekeeping or reporter genes) means deleterious consequences are unlikely in the extreme to result. Plasmids used are mobilisation defective. No genes are being expressed at unusually high levels, it it is considered very unlikely they will generate toxicity, in the extremely unlikely event of survival of the disabled E.coli host in the body,