Team:Northwestern/Safety

Safety

Please use this page to answer the safety questions posed on the safety page.

  1.  Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of:
         * researcher safety,
         * public safety, or
         * environmental safety?
  2. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues? If yes,
         * did you document these issues in the Registry?
         * how did you manage to handle the safety issue?
         * How could other teams learn from your experience?
  3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution?
         * If yes, what does your local biosafety group think about your project?
         * If no, which specific biosafety rules or guidelines do you have to consider in your country?
  4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions?
     How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?

1. Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of researcher safety, public safety or environmental safety?

We can pinpoint three possible negative consequences of our project:

1. The strain produces some toxin related to chitin in addition to the chitin itself.
2. The strain produces pure chitin, and the extraction thereof results in a high incidence of allergic reaction among those that work with it.
3. The strain becomes airborne, resulting in lung infection and chitin deposition in the airways.

2. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues?

No, our newly constructed parts and devices fit the iGEM safety requirements.

3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution?

Yes, the Northwestern University Office for Research Safety (ORS) and the Northwestern University Institutional Review Board (IRB) proactively work to ensure ethical research practices for the safety of both researchers and participants.

If yes, what does your local biosafety group think about your project?
We contacted the Northwestern University Office for Research Safety and they deemed our project as one that can be performed safely with routine safe work practices and operational controls.

4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions?

When pursuing a project, an iGEM team should attempt to think ahead of any dangerous consequences of their pursuits. If there are any concerns, the team should consider drafting recommendations for any group that might desire to utilize their devices. If infection is a concern, appropriate apoptotic signals should be considered.

How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?

Parts might be programmed with an apoptotic signal so that the bacteria dies when separated from culture. In addition, certain "key" systems may be desirable. If parts provided are of a somewhat "black box" format, it may be possible to program in killswitches so that if a strain is not treated with a particular nutrient or other molecule, transformed strains either apoptose or do not have the proper function. If these keys are sent with the desired part, it may make it more difficult to "hack" dangerous parts for illicit use.