1.Safety and Security
In synthetic biology research, biosafety and biosecurity are critical
aspects that cannot be overlooked. To ensure the progress of our project,
protect the personal safety of researchers, maintain the normal operation
of the laboratory, and prevent public health and environmental safety
issues, our team has established a comprehensive safety system. This
system primarily includes laboratory safety, biosafety and related
regulations, our safety measures, and the biosafety and ethics white
paper that we co-authored with the iGEM team JLU-NBBMS. Through the
following explanations, we hope to provide a deeper understanding of the
safety of our project and biosafety standards, fostering a safe, harmonious, and orderly research
environment.
2.Laboratory Safety
First, before entering the laboratory,
we carefully reviewed the " Safety Manual of South China University
of Technology Laboratory " [1]. Then, our instructor, Alexander
Tjahjasari, provided us with laboratory safety management training,
covering basic safety precautions, including but not limited to:
(1)Smoking, eating, and wearing contact lenses are prohibited in the laboratory;
(2)Appropriate protective equipment must be worn: lab coats, gloves, masks, and goggles when necessary. Wearing shorts, skirts, slippers, and leaving long hair untied are not allowed;
(3)Reagents and instruments should be returned to their original place after use;
(4)Waste generated in the laboratory must be classified and disposed of according to regulations, especially waste containing bacteria or other microorganisms, which should be autoclaved before disposal;
(5)Avoid working alone in the laboratory as much as possible;
(6)Ensure the safety of water, electricity, and materials in the laboratory before leaving, and maintain personal hygiene;
(7)In case of an accident, effective emergency measures should be taken immediately to control the scope of impact, and report to the unit leadership, the University Laboratory and Equipment Management Office, and the Security Office.
(1)Smoking, eating, and wearing contact lenses are prohibited in the laboratory;
(2)Appropriate protective equipment must be worn: lab coats, gloves, masks, and goggles when necessary. Wearing shorts, skirts, slippers, and leaving long hair untied are not allowed;
(3)Reagents and instruments should be returned to their original place after use;
(4)Waste generated in the laboratory must be classified and disposed of according to regulations, especially waste containing bacteria or other microorganisms, which should be autoclaved before disposal;
(5)Avoid working alone in the laboratory as much as possible;
(6)Ensure the safety of water, electricity, and materials in the laboratory before leaving, and maintain personal hygiene;
(7)In case of an accident, effective emergency measures should be taken immediately to control the scope of impact, and report to the unit leadership, the University Laboratory and Equipment Management Office, and the Security Office.
Laboratory safety training session
We were also introduced to the usage protocols of equipment such as microscope, autoclaves, clean bench, and centrifuges, and practiced operating them.
Our laboratory safety management complies with the "Laboratory Safety Standards for Higher Education Institutions" [2] and aligns with Article 35 of the "Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China," which states, "Units engaged in biotechnology research, development, and application activities shall be responsible for the safety of their biotechnology research, development, and application, take biosafety risk prevention and control measures, establish systems for biosafety training, tracking inspections, regular reporting, and strengthen process management" [3].
Laboratory practice
3.Biosafety and Regulations
(1) Raw Material Safety:
We purchased quality-inspected dried kelp from a licensed online store with a business license and a food business permit. The kelp originates from Fujian Province, China, and is used as a fermentation raw material without any genetic modification.
(2) Strain Safety:
The strains we use are DH5α Escherichia coli from the K-12 lineage and PK2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The K-12 E. coli strain is a non-pathogenic strain classified as Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) and is included on the whitelist. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an opportunistic pathogen that generally does not cause disease. Although PK2 S. cerevisiae is not on the whitelist, we have submitted a check-in form for it. Both K-12 E. coli and PK2 S. cerevisiae are not listed in China's "List of Pathogenic Microorganisms Infectious to Humans" [4].
(3) Product Safety:
In the production of limonene, we conduct quality monitoring of the product, including testing limonene purity and checking for harmful substances, to ensure it meets relevant quality standards. When it comes to limonene itself, recent studies on limonene safety have not found significant impacts on human health, so limonene is generally considered safe for use in the food , chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the environmental impact of limonene is still unclear, and further research is needed to assess its behavior and potential effects in the environment.
(4) Gene Editing Safety:
Legal regulations and requirements concerning gene editing, including the World Health Organization's recommendations on gene editing, China's " Regulation of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Human Genetic Resources" [5], Article 1009 of the "Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China" [6], and the "Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China " [3], primarily focus on the control and restriction of human gene editing. Currently, we have not found specific legal regulations for gene editing in S. cerevisiae. We believe that the gene editing of S. cerevisiae in our research is feasible and complies with the "Regulations on the Safety Management of Genetic Engineering" [7] and Article 34 of the " Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China," which states, "Biotechnology research, development, and application activities should comply with ethical principles" [3].
We purchased quality-inspected dried kelp from a licensed online store with a business license and a food business permit. The kelp originates from Fujian Province, China, and is used as a fermentation raw material without any genetic modification.
(2) Strain Safety:
The strains we use are DH5α Escherichia coli from the K-12 lineage and PK2 Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The K-12 E. coli strain is a non-pathogenic strain classified as Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) and is included on the whitelist. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an opportunistic pathogen that generally does not cause disease. Although PK2 S. cerevisiae is not on the whitelist, we have submitted a check-in form for it. Both K-12 E. coli and PK2 S. cerevisiae are not listed in China's "List of Pathogenic Microorganisms Infectious to Humans" [4].
(3) Product Safety:
In the production of limonene, we conduct quality monitoring of the product, including testing limonene purity and checking for harmful substances, to ensure it meets relevant quality standards. When it comes to limonene itself, recent studies on limonene safety have not found significant impacts on human health, so limonene is generally considered safe for use in the food , chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the environmental impact of limonene is still unclear, and further research is needed to assess its behavior and potential effects in the environment.
(4) Gene Editing Safety:
Legal regulations and requirements concerning gene editing, including the World Health Organization's recommendations on gene editing, China's " Regulation of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Human Genetic Resources" [5], Article 1009 of the "Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China" [6], and the "Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China " [3], primarily focus on the control and restriction of human gene editing. Currently, we have not found specific legal regulations for gene editing in S. cerevisiae. We believe that the gene editing of S. cerevisiae in our research is feasible and complies with the "Regulations on the Safety Management of Genetic Engineering" [7] and Article 34 of the " Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China," which states, "Biotechnology research, development, and application activities should comply with ethical principles" [3].
4.Our Safety Measures
The instant dry yeast we use
To prevent environmental
contamination caused by the escape of strains, all operations
involving E. coli and S. cerevisiae are conducted within the
laboratory. When observing yeast cells under a microscope during
our HP activities, we use food-grade wild-type yeast that is
commercially available.
5.Biosafety & Bioethics White Paper
Profile: To enhance biosafety awareness and strengthen people's understanding of
biosafety and bioethics, we actively participated in the initiative led by the JLU-NBBMS team to compile
The Biosafety and Bioethics
Whitepaper. This activity brought together multiple teams from different villages to co-author the white
paper, showcasing each village's unique biosafety and bioethics knowledge while also introducing their
respective project designs.
In The Biosafety and Bioethics Whitepaper, the content of Climate Crisis Village was written by our team, including Introduction to the Climate Crisis Village, SCUT-China-S team Introduction and Case Analysis:
1. Introduction to the Climate Crisis Village: First, in the Overview of the Village, we describe the village's aim to solve the climate problem by using synthetic biology to reduce greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. It also presents our team's new ideas for the village, providing inspiration and experience for future teams. Secondly, in the Bioethics/Bioregulation section, we listed some biosafety and bioethics regulations that may be involved in this village, summarized and analyzed them, and found their correlation with iGEM, so as to regulate the biosafety and bioethics of this village with clear laws and regulations. Finally, in the Biosafety Section, we listed some biosafety switches/designs used by the Climate Crisis Village team in the past two years, as well as the biosafety designs involved in our project, hoping to reflect diverse biosafety ideas from different teams and inherit and innovate in future races.
2. SCUT-China-S team Introduction: This section first introduces the project, then carries out the Rubric initial response, and finally presents the uniqueness of our project in terms of innovation and feasibility.
3. Case Analysis: This section analyzes and interprets the projects of iGEM team Nanjing-China, which won the Safety and Security Award Nomination in 2022, especially in biosafety and bioethics.
In short, The Biosafety and Bioethics Whitepaper is a summary of the experience of our predecessors, a further exploration and innovation of our own village, and a guide and inspiration for the future iGEM team.
Click here to view the full version of the
white paper
In The Biosafety and Bioethics Whitepaper, the content of Climate Crisis Village was written by our team, including Introduction to the Climate Crisis Village, SCUT-China-S team Introduction and Case Analysis:
1. Introduction to the Climate Crisis Village: First, in the Overview of the Village, we describe the village's aim to solve the climate problem by using synthetic biology to reduce greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. It also presents our team's new ideas for the village, providing inspiration and experience for future teams. Secondly, in the Bioethics/Bioregulation section, we listed some biosafety and bioethics regulations that may be involved in this village, summarized and analyzed them, and found their correlation with iGEM, so as to regulate the biosafety and bioethics of this village with clear laws and regulations. Finally, in the Biosafety Section, we listed some biosafety switches/designs used by the Climate Crisis Village team in the past two years, as well as the biosafety designs involved in our project, hoping to reflect diverse biosafety ideas from different teams and inherit and innovate in future races.
2. SCUT-China-S team Introduction: This section first introduces the project, then carries out the Rubric initial response, and finally presents the uniqueness of our project in terms of innovation and feasibility.
3. Case Analysis: This section analyzes and interprets the projects of iGEM team Nanjing-China, which won the Safety and Security Award Nomination in 2022, especially in biosafety and bioethics.
The Biosafety and Bioethics Whitepaper cover
In short, The Biosafety and Bioethics Whitepaper is a summary of the experience of our predecessors, a further exploration and innovation of our own village, and a guide and inspiration for the future iGEM team.
The Biosafety and Bioethics Whitepaper online conference
6.References
[1] “Safety Manual of South China University of Technology Laboratory” :Link
[2] “Laboratory Safety Standards for Higher Education Institutions” :Link
[3] “Biosecurity Law of the People's Republic of China” :Link
[4] “List of Pathogenic Microorganisms Infectious to Humans” :Link
[5] “Regulation of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of Human Genetic Resources” :Link
[6] “Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China” :Link
[7] “Regulations on the Safety Management of Genetic Engineering”:Link