Safety/Learn More
Safe Project Design
Video Tutorials
To learn about biological risk assessment and responsible research, you can watch the two videos below.
Traditional Biological Risk Assessment — 7 min 16 sec — Transcript
Responsible Conduct in Synthetic Biology — 10 min 25 sec — Transcript
These two videos were made available through SynBERC. Videos produced by Terry D. Johnson, based on slides by J. Christopher Anderson, both of UC Berkeley Bioengineering.
Safe Lab Work
Working Safely with Parts
When you work with biological parts, you must consider the function of each part to determine whether and how you can handle it safely. We encourage iGEM teams to avoid the use of dangerous parts and to seek safer alternatives.
- Toxins: Is your part toxic to humans? It could encode a protein that is toxic by itself (like Botulinum toxin, a.k.a. Botox), or perhaps it is an enzyme that synthesizes a toxic small molecule.
- Virulence Factors: Virulence factors are genes that give microbes certain capabilities to infect or sicken people. Although these capabilities can be useful in synthetic biology, they also make microbes more dangerous.
Some examples of virulence factors:
- Proteins that enable bacteria to attach to the outside of human cells
- Proteins that enable bacteria to invade human cells
- Cell-exterior proteins or carbohydrates that protect bacteria from the immune system
Visit Virulence Factors of Pathogenic Bacteria to learn more. - Parts in Combination and Context: Even if the individual parts in your project are safe, they may have a dangerous function when combined. You must think about how your parts will work together. Could they imitate the function of a virulence factor? Could they be harmful to humans or the environment in some other way?
If you are unsure about a part, consult your team instructors or your institutional biosafety officers. You can also email safety AT igem DOT org for advice!
Safety Committee Red Flags
The iGEM Safety Committee puts Safety Red Flags on certain parts in the Registry, which present safety risks beyond what is normal for the Registry. Be extra careful when handling these parts, and consult with your team instructors to determine if you need any additional safety precautions. Any part with a Red Flag requires a Check-In before you acquire or use that part.
This is what a Red Flag looks like.
Here is a complete list of all parts that have Red Flags.
Working Safely with Organisms
Microorganisms are generally classified into four Risk Groups, according to how dangerous they are to humans. The majority of iGEM teams use Risk Group 1 organisms, such as yeast or E. coli K-12. A few teams use Risk Group 2 organisms, such as human cell lines. iGEM teams are not permitted to use Risk Group 3 or 4 organisms, or to work in Safety Level 3 or 4 laboratories.
Appropriate safety precautions depend on the Risk Group of the organisms you work with. Choose an appropriate lab facility and use the correct protective equipment for the organisms you use in your project.
Read the page about Risk Groups and Safety Levels for more detail, including how to find out which Risk Group an organism is in.
General Lab Safety Manuals
- Synthetic Biology: A Lab Manual by Liljeruhm, Gullberg, and Forster: general guide to laboratory work in synthetic biology, with a chapter on basic safety practices. Purchase on Amazon
- WHO Biosafety Manual: PDF format, in several languages (English, Français, Español, Português, 中文, Русский, Italiano, 日本語, Српски / srpski, Tiếng Việt)
- Biosafety in Microbial and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL): a comprehensive guide to laboratory safety, published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Non-Biological Hazards
Laboratories also have physical and chemical hazards, such as:
- Fire
- Sharp objects & broken glass
- Extreme cold temperatures (e.g. liquid nitrogen)
- Acids and corrosive chemicals
- Toxins (e.g. acrylamide)
Follow your institution's rules about how to work safely with these hazards.
Safe Shipment
Why are there laws about shipping DNA?
Countries regulate the shipment of DNA across their national borders in order to keep dangerous genetic material under control. This is both to prevent people accidentally being harmed (by a spill or lab accident), and to prevent malicious actors from obtaining dangerous materials.
The vast majority of DNA that is sent and received by iGEM teams poses no risks and is perfectly safe for shipment. However, it is worthwhile to understand the rules and best practices around shipping DNA, both so that your routine safe shipments are less likely to be delayed by customs, and so that you can respond appropriately if you ever do want to ship something potentially dangerous.
Packaging and Customs
When you submit parts for the 2015 competition, use the standard DNA Submission Kit that came with your 2015 Distribution, and follow the directions on the Registry.
Do not attempt to disguise the nature of your shipment. Disguised shipments will not be accepted by iGEM HQ, and any parts that arrive in a disguised shipment will not be eligible for awards. Disguised shipments include:
- Dishonest or misleading labeling on the outside of the package
- Dishonest, misleading, or incomplete customs declarations
- DNA samples hidden inside "non-scientific looking" materials, like books or clothing
If you anticipate having problems with your shipment getting through customs, prepare and send your shipment well ahead of time. We also recommend preparing your samples as dried DNA rather than liquid.
Here are some good general guidelines for shipping non-hazardous biological materials from the University of Edinburgh.
Genes to Avoid Shipping
Different countries have different laws about what DNA cannot be shipped across national/state borders. If you are unsure, you should consult the biosafety office of your institution.
As a starting point, you can consult the Australia Group List and the U.S. Select Agents and Toxins List. If any of your parts come from organisms on the Australia Group List or the Select Agents and Toxins list, please contact iGEM (email safety AT igem DOT org) to discuss whether you should refrain from submitting these parts to the Registry.