Team:Calgary/Safety
SAFE PROJECT DESIGN AND EXECUTION
Throughout the season, iGEM Calgary has strived to consider every aspect of safety with regards to both our Neocycle system and our workplace practices. Our team used E. coli K12-derived strains, which do not pose a risk of disease in healthy adult humans, as they lack the machinery required to colonize the digestive system [1]. In addition, E. coli K12-derived strains survive poorly in the environment and are not known to cause any harm to other microorganisms or plants [1]. Additionally, our team used G. oxydans B-58* and A. thiooxidans strain B-S2*, both of which are classified under Biosafety Level Risk Group 1 (German classification) [2, 3] and are unlikely to cause harm to an individual or the community [4]. Our lab is also BSL-2 certified, enabling us to safely work with the E. coli, G. oxydans, and A. thiooxidans strains. Hence, our work with our selected organisms and parts did not pose any foreseeable risks aside from those related to standard lab protocols. These risks, such as those posed by intercalating fluorescent dyes and acrylamide, were mitigated by following safety guidelines outlined by our institution. Members of our team who conducted wet lab work for the bioleaching subproject, which involved the use of strong corrosive acids (aqua regia), took care to consult technical experts and safety guidelines to ensure lab safety.
In accordance with institutional laboratory safety guidelines, all members of our wet lab team completed the following safety training courses: hazard and risk assessment, reporting incidents and near misses, spill response, general laboratory safety, WHMIS, biosafety, and occupational health and safety. This training enabled us to appropriately manage any risks and concerns associated with routine lab work and allowed us to adhere at all times to the guidelines put forth by the University of Calgary Biosafety Committee and the federal Canadian Biosafety Standard. Our wet lab members were also supervised at all times by a teaching or research assistant, and took additional precautions as necessary to keep our lab members safe by consulting technical experts.
COVID-19 SAFETY
As COVID-19 continues to pose a unique set of challenges and risks, our team remains fully committed to caring for the safety of our community. In accordance with provincial and institutional COVID-19 restrictions in May and early June, our team conducted all work and meetings through the use of online platforms such as Zoom, Google Drive, and Slack. By mid-June, the steady decline of COVID-19 cases in our region enabled us to safely return to the physical laboratory setting, where we continued to ensure the safety of our community members by complying with the updated COVID-19 guidelines. To further minimize the risk to our members during the summer, our in-person wet lab hours were restricted from 9am-4pm daily, while our in-person dry lab hours were restricted from 9am-4pm on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. During the fall, our in-person wet lab hours were further restricted to 9am-4pm on Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Any work that could be completed virtually continued to occur through the use of online platforms.
REFERENCES
Attachment I--Final Risk Assessment of Escherichia coli K-12 Derivatives. US EPA. [accessed 2021 Sept 25]. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-09/documents/fra004.pdf
BacDive. Gluconobacter OXYDANS No 27, Porges 27: DSM 46616, atcc 9844, CCM 2371, IAM 1818, Imet 10510, Lbg 4093, NCIB 8086, nrrl B-58: BacDiveID:51. BacDive. [accessed 2021 Sep 25]. https://bacdive.dsmz.de/strain/51#ref12588
BacDive. Acidithiobacillus THIOOXIDANS B-S2: Dsm 9463: BACDIVEID:123. BacDive. [accessed 2021 Sep 25]. https://bacdive.dsmz.de/strain/123
Risk groups. US Department of Health and Human Services. [accessed 2021 Sept 25]. https://www.phe.gov/s3/BioriskManagement/biosafety/Pages/Risk-Groups.aspx
