Team:ABSI Kenya/Safety
Innovative ideas to solve local problems using synthetic biology.
Introduction
ABSI_Kenya is a team of young professionals with innovative ideas to solve local problems using synthetic biology.
About our project
Every year, 1.6 million lives are lost globally as a result of diarrheal diseases. A huge percentage of these are linked to poor sanitation and hygiene and contaminated water. In Kenya alone, 47% of the population lacks access to clean drinking water.
This demographic relies on ponds, rivers wells, and other unimproved sources Unfortunately, these are contaminated with industrial effluent and domestic output such as feces. These present a serious health hazard when ingested. These classes of contaminants are dangerous and are known to end human life or at the least cause illness to human beings. Some of the effects are irreversible.
Since this is a major problem in Kenya our team has decided to design a water-based biosensor that will be able to detect chemical and microbial contaminants in water. Our project gives a provision for affected communities to test their drinking water from the comfort of their homes. With the use of biological engineering principles, we have designed a biosensor that detects the common bacterial and chemical contaminants, The kit will be highly accurate and the results will be easy to read, hence no laboratory is required for this.
About Kenya
Safety
Please visit the Safety Hub to find this year's safety requirements & deadlines, and to learn about safe & responsible research in iGEM.
On this page of your wiki, you should write about how you are addressing any safety issues in your project. The wiki is a place where you can go beyond the questions on the safety forms, and write about whatever safety topics are most interesting in your project. (You do not need to copy your safety forms onto this wiki page.)
Safe Project Design
Does your project include any safety features? Have you made certain decisions about the design to reduce risks? Write about them here! For example:
- Choosing a non-pathogenic chassis
- Choosing parts that will not harm humans / animals / plants
- Substituting safer materials for dangerous materials in a proof-of-concept experiment
- Including an "induced lethality" or "kill-switch" device
Safe Lab Work
What safety procedures do you use every day in the lab? Did you perform any unusual experiments, or face any unusual safety issues? Write about them here!