Team:Aalto-Helsinki/Safety

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Safety in iGEM Project

Safe Lab Work

We worked at Level 1 (low risk) laboratory because the only bacteria we handled were the strains TOP10 and BL21 (DE3) of Escherichia coli. The enzymes of our bacteria were foreign genes from the bacterial species of Clostridium, Haemophilus, Mycobacterium, Prochlorococcus and Bacillus but these extracted genes expressing enzymes for intermediates didn't contain any pathogen risks. We ordered the synthesis of these genes which weren’t available as BioBricks. The companies are constantly blasting the ordered gene sequences with the pathogenic ones so the shipping isn’t preceded if hazardous material is found.

Everyone in our team working in the lab has previously worked in the lab and received mandatory training on how to work in safely in the laboratory as a part of their studies. Some of the topics of this training include personal protective equipment, how to work with different chemicals and GMO and dispose of them, how to mark reagents, on safety labels, on biosafety levels, on most common lab accidents and how to avoid them, what to do in case of an accident, on different types of hoods (laminar flow cabinet, fume hood), on the importance of proper planning and cleaning up after oneself, etc.

Additionally, we had for our team members working in the lab a lecture on lab safety held by an instructor from the lab we are working at, covering similar topics (PPE, waste disposal etc.). Furthermore, the location of first aid kits, fire extinguishers and emergency showers in the laboratory were shown to us by an instructor. None of members are allowed to be alone in the lab and working during nights or weekend needed always permission from the lab personnel.

Our strain will produce highly flammable propane gas which lower flammable limit is 1,8 % and upper 8,4 % of air volume (Airgas, 2014). In the study Turku University (Kallio et al. 2014) made the maximum produced propane amount without extra 80% oxygen addition was 0,5 mg/L which can be considered to be below flammable concentration. Still, the accumulation of propane was prevented with proper ventilation during the cultivation processes for GC-analysis and continuous production. MSDS must be read before handling the strain producing propane.

Safe Project Design

These questions were considered when evaluating the safety of our application:

Who will use your product? What opinions do these people have about your project?

Consumers who will use propane as a fuel for vehicles and cooking. Most likely they would value the sustainable fuel and increasing options for commercial biobased fuels. Furthermore, the consumers would approve better ignition and combustion abilities.

Where will your product be used? On a farm, in a factory, inside human bodies, in the ocean?

The product will be used inside apartments and on gas stations. The product has some safety regulations depending on the country, which need to be respected. For example, propane needs to be kept in a well-ventilated area. Greater amounts of propane need to be stored in a separate place, with appropriate warning signs.

If your product is successful, who will receive benefits and who will be harmed?

The overall population will get benefits from decreased CO2 emissions affecting to the climate change but it would be hard to determine how significant the impact would be. However, even the biofuels have the emissions of NOx, SOx and microparticles but when comparing to other biofuels, propane gas burns cleaner.

What happens when it's all used up? Will it be sterilized, discarded, or recycled?

Propane cylinders will be recycled or straight refilled by the services responding about distribution. Consumers won’t be allowed to handle a valve if the container is not connected to device for the purpose.

Is it safer, cheaper, or better than other technologies that do the same thing?

It has the benefit of better energy consumption. Storing may contain more hazards compared to non-pressurized biofuels like ethanol but as the safe infrastructure already exists, consumer can rely that the new product is safe to use.

Safe Shipment

Did you face any safety problems in sending your DNA parts to the Registry? How did you solve those problems?

References

1. Kallio, P., Pásztor, A., Thiel, K., Akhtar, M.K., Jones, P.R. An engineered pathway for the biosynthesis of renewable propane (2014) Nature Communications, 5, art. no. 4731. Link

2. Anon., Safety Data Sheet: Propane, Airgas, Date of issue 16/10/2014.