Team:UNAM-Genomics Mexico/Safety
From 2010.igem.org
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==Examples of Survey 1 answers== | ==Examples of Survey 1 answers== | ||
- | The nature of unbiased surveys with open opinion makes | + | |
+ | The nature of unbiased surveys with open opinion makes the analysis more difficult, it´s necessary to determine an objective classification of each answer. | ||
===Example 1=== | ===Example 1=== | ||
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'''2. What do you think Synthetic Biology is?''' | '''2. What do you think Synthetic Biology is?''' | ||
- | ''Biology which studies things | + | ''Biology which studies things that are not real'' |
Corresponds to classification: Other | Corresponds to classification: Other | ||
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''No'' | ''No'' | ||
- | This answer is binary: Yes or | + | This answer is binary: Yes or no, if there is no answer, we use NA for non available answer. |
'''4. What kinds of problems do you think that could be solved?''' | '''4. What kinds of problems do you think that could be solved?''' | ||
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'''1. What do you understand by “synthetic”?''' | '''1. What do you understand by “synthetic”?''' | ||
- | '' | + | ''It's an object and then it’s modified.'' |
Modification | Modification | ||
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'''2. What do you think Synthetic Biology is?''' | '''2. What do you think Synthetic Biology is?''' | ||
- | ''Incorporate | + | ''Incorporate nonnatural or not known elements of a living system to an organism, in the same way incorporate metabolic processes, pathways or reactions those are not natural or own of that organism.''' |
Bioengineering | Bioengineering | ||
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'''4. What kinds of problems do you think that could be solved?''' | '''4. What kinds of problems do you think that could be solved?''' | ||
- | '' | + | ''food, metabolic diseases'' |
This answer has a wide range so: | This answer has a wide range so: | ||
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=====What does survey 2 evaluate?===== | =====What does survey 2 evaluate?===== | ||
- | It evaluates the final conception and opinion about SB and the talk It will help us know whether our talk was helpful in providing a working definition for SB to the audience. | + | It evaluates the final conception and opinion about SB and the talk. It will help us know whether our talk was helpful in providing a working definition for SB to the audience. |
Survey 2 is based on four questions: | Survey 2 is based on four questions: | ||
* What did you understand by synthetic biology? | * What did you understand by synthetic biology? | ||
- | This question is the first hit to know if Synthetic Conquest of Mexico mission has achieved the | + | This question is the first hit to know if Synthetic Conquest of Mexico mission has achieved the main objective. We expect differential results compared with the preliminary survey, trying to get our point to people of the concept of synthetic biology as bioengineering. This question is treated as question 1 in survey . If the concept is far from the main idea it will be classified as other. |
* Select the option that best suits your vision about engineering living organisms. | * Select the option that best suits your vision about engineering living organisms. | ||
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** Yes, in ___ years. | ** Yes, in ___ years. | ||
** No. | ** No. | ||
- | Once proven if Synthetic Conquest of Mexico has put the first step in minds of students, we want to know if they feel | + | Once proven if the Synthetic Conquest of Mexico has put the first step in minds of students, we want to know if they feel the reality of synthetic biology tangible in their current or future life. The option to put years probably shows the impact or influence of our presentation. |
* Do you support the advancement of synthetic biology? Mention your opinion with positive and/or negative points. | * Do you support the advancement of synthetic biology? Mention your opinion with positive and/or negative points. | ||
- | Going deeper | + | Going deeper inside the minds of students, we try to investigate if personal, objective or maybe religious ideas, support or impede the development of Synthetic Biology in Mexico and World. The purpose to put positive and/or negative points we now if students got the knowledge of potential and concerns about synthetic biology. |
* Write down any comments you have about the lecture or topic. | * Write down any comments you have about the lecture or topic. | ||
- | Here we expect to know if they found interesting, boring, shocking, boring, etc… | + | Here we expect to know if they found the lecture interesting, boring, shocking, boring, etc… This question covers the performance of the lecturer and opinion about lecture. |
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* The answers reflect a permanent point of view of the taker. (i.e. Takers are not influenced by mood or other external factors) | * The answers reflect a permanent point of view of the taker. (i.e. Takers are not influenced by mood or other external factors) | ||
* The survey is unbiased since the taker doesn't have choices to select from. | * The survey is unbiased since the taker doesn't have choices to select from. | ||
- | * Most people heard lecture. | + | * Most people heard the lecture. |
<html> | <html> | ||
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'''1. What did you understand by synthetic biology?''' | '''1. What did you understand by synthetic biology?''' | ||
- | ''The design and/or construction of new organisms which make specific function.'' | + | ''The design and/or construction of new organisms which make a specific function.'' |
'''''The classification includes the concept of: Bioengineering''''' | '''''The classification includes the concept of: Bioengineering''''' | ||
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b) No. | b) No. | ||
- | '''''Here we have 2 choices, one of them quantifiable. In this case person thinks synthetic biology will change his live in direct or indirect way | + | '''''Here we have 2 choices, one of them quantifiable. In this case the person thinks synthetic biology will change his live in a direct or indirect way .''''' |
'''4. Do you support the advancement of synthetic biology? Mention your opinion with positive and/or negative points.''' | '''4. Do you support the advancement of synthetic biology? Mention your opinion with positive and/or negative points.''' | ||
- | ''Yes, I support the development of synthetic Biology, because it will be a way to solve very huge amount of problems, although we need to | + | ''Yes, I support the development of synthetic Biology, because it will be a way to solve a very huge amount of problems, although we need to know every ethics implication.'' |
'''''Option in this case: Yes''''' | '''''Option in this case: Yes''''' | ||
- | '''''Positive: | + | '''''Positive: benefits of many kinds''''' |
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'''4. Do you support the advancement of synthetic biology? Mention your opinion with positive and/or negative points.''' | '''4. Do you support the advancement of synthetic biology? Mention your opinion with positive and/or negative points.''' | ||
- | ''Yes, but keeping ideas about ethics in | + | ''Yes, but keeping ideas about ethics in living organisms.'' |
'''''Option in this case: Yes''''' | '''''Option in this case: Yes''''' | ||
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'''1. What did you understand by synthetic biology?''' | '''1. What did you understand by synthetic biology?''' | ||
- | ''Construction of machines to help people | + | ''Construction of machines to help people substitute a body part.'' |
- | '''''The classification includes the concept of: Other. The causes of this unrelated answer are varied | + | '''''The classification includes the concept of: Other. The causes of this unrelated answer are varied.''' |
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'''5. Write down any comments you have about the lecture or topic.''' | '''5. Write down any comments you have about the lecture or topic.''' | ||
- | ''I found | + | ''I found your lecture really boring, I was sleeping.'' |
- | '''''In this case we use a classification: Bad, because goal for lecturer was conquer | + | '''''In this case we use a classification: Bad, because the goal for the lecturer was conquer minds for synthetic biology.''''' |
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<div id="dropmsg6" class="dropcontent"> | <div id="dropmsg6" class="dropcontent"> | ||
</html> | </html> | ||
- | ==== | + | ====Dynamics and Explanation of Lecture==== |
* Work tools: | * Work tools: | ||
** PowerPoint presentation. | ** PowerPoint presentation. | ||
** Blackboard for specific explaining. | ** Blackboard for specific explaining. | ||
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* Outline of lecture: | * Outline of lecture: | ||
- | ** | + | ** The lecture begins asking the audience about life and giving different concepts about life. the purpose of this is to give the first hit to students changing or getting an abstraction about what is life, eventually arriving at life as a combination of parts, namely genes. |
- | ** Explaining molecular concept of genes and how | + | ** Explaining how a gene looks like, the molecular "working" concept of genes and how these make functions. this is given in a non-technical way. |
- | ** At | + | ** At this moment we the elevate imagination of the student, creating expectations in them about many genes are many functions, like combining functions to create doctor-like bacteria, superman-like bacteria and bathroom-cleaning bacteria. |
- | ** After moment 3, | + | ** After moment 3, we explain the egnineering approach to biology with parallelisms between computers and cells, and how bioparts can create a biomachine. |
- | ** Then, ideas about | + | ** Then, ideas about what to do to understand and create a biomachine are explained with simple concepts of Restriction Enzymes, and the importance of Statistics and Mathematical Model are introduced as when predicting the trajectory of a rocket. |
- | ** What is iGEM competition, some shocking examples and own project. | + | ** then everything is taken to reality: What is iGEM competition, some shocking examples and own project. |
- | ** | + | ** Drawbacks, potential issues, purpose and the need to create an opinion about synthetic biology were reminded. |
- | ** Thanks. | + | ** Thanks, acknowledgements, and contact information. |
Revision as of 02:48, 28 October 2010
Safety
Identifying Safety Issues
Probability
Could there be an unplanned event or series of events involving your project, resulting in either death, injury, occupational illness, damage to equipment or property, or damage to the environment? How likely is that going to happen?
There could always be some sinister series of unfortunate events that leads to disaster, however given the nature of our project, we believe that that little beyond minimal environmental exposure is the scope of catastrophe. Our BioBricks parts are mainly enzymes. These enzymes catalyze reactions that are already found in nature in a wide variety of environmental niches. As such, they are nothing new. Nature has found ways of balancing their actions, so even if they were to be exposed dramatically, the perturbation should be minimal and easily self-correcting.
Does your project require the exposure or release of the engineered organism to people or the environment (e.g. as medicine, for bioremediation)?
Our project does not require exposure or release to either people or environment. In fact, this project is meant to be tested under extreme biological, chemical and even thermal isolation. One of the points we want to prove is the fact that we can communicate information where there is no possible biological, chemical or even thermal bridge spanning our communicating entities. They will be isolated, both from each other as from the environment.
Hazard
Could your device, when working properly, represent a hazard to people or the environment?
We do not believe our device represents a hazard. If working properly, our devices will stress the host organism without generating any short-term benefit. As such, they are only an added metabolic process to the host. At most, our devices would generate a higher-than-average amount of reactive oxygen species, but not in a significant manner. Perhaps, should the reactions be extreme in number, the light emission could be a hazard to the naked eye...
Is your engineered organism infectious? Does it produce a toxic product? Does it interfere with human physiology or the environment?
Our engineered organism is not infectious, nor does it produce toxic products. The only dangerous product of our devices are reactive oxygen species, however their net production is not significant. Moreover, human physiology (as well as most other physiologies to our knowledge) is quite capable of dealing with reactive oxygen species so long they do not exceed a certain threshold.
What would happen if one or several bioparts change their function or stop working as intended (e.g. through mutation)? How would the whole device or system change its properties and what unintended effects would result thereof?
Mutation of our BioBrick parts would most likely result in loss of function. Thus, our organisms would either go blind, or stop glowing. Should the extraordinary happen and gain of function occur, we fathom our organisms would be over-taxed and they would die. Since our parts are only a net drag on the survivability of our organisms, it would require some extreme mutations to render them a selective advantage for the host. However, this risk exists for any exogenous protein in a host.
What unintended effects could you foresee after your engineered organism is released to the environment?
We can foresee the spread of the BioBrick parts through the environmental bacterial populations via horizontal gene transfer. However, since the bearing plasmid only holds a selective advantage under antibiotic conditions, we expect it to be quickly lost. Moreover, in the event our devices escape the original plasmid and hop into another structure, light communication holds no selective advantage in and of itself within current free-living populations of E. coli. Thus we feel confident our devices would over-tax their hosts and ensure death.
Try to think outside the box, what is the absolut worst case scenario for human health or the environment, that you could imagine?
The Absolute Worst Case Scenario? As if in a movie by Micheal Bay? Well...
We can image our E. colis forming a structure much like a neural network to process information as a colony instead of as a single cell. Under quite permissive conditions, they might gain a selective advantage by operating in a multi-cellular organization. If grown to 1.2 optical density in a 1 liter beaker, they may very well have more connections than a human brain. Given sufficient time, they might learn to think as a collective. Should they develop proteins that receive wavelengths of around 1mm, they might tune into Radio & Television. Thus, they might learn of and imitate the Borg Collective, posing a danger to Human supremacy of the Planet!!!
Seriously though, due to the chassis mutations required by our system, either the bacteria are producing non-stop tryptophan (which constitutes a tremendous metabolic stress), or they can not adjust osmolarity (which makes them utterly incompetent in the outside world). Morevoer, for them to sense in more than one color, both mutations need to be present, which makes the bacteria even less competent. One way or another, these cells need careful human attention to survive. Thus can the be easily controlled.
Public Perception
Human Practices
These are the results for our Human Practices activities.
The raw data will be available here.
For more information about what we did, or why we did it, please select an option in the dropdown menu below.
Interview
We had interviewed Christina D. Smolke while she was in Cuernavaca participating in the Seminars of Frontiers in Genomics. The interview's transcript is here:
Links
The iGEM Safety page is this one: safety page.iGEM
iGEM is the International Genetically Engineered Machines Competition, held each year at MIT and organized with support of the Parts Registry. See more here.Synthetic Biology
This is defined as attempting to manipulate living objects as if they were man-made machines, specifically in terms of genetic engineering. See more here.Genomics
We are students on the Genomic Sciences program at the Center for Genomic Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, campus Morelos. See more here.This site is best viewed with a Webkit based Browser (eg: Google's Chrome, Apple's Safari),
Trident based (Microsoft's Internet Explorer) or Presto based (Opera) are not currently supported. Sorry.