Team:Clemson/Safety

From 2012.igem.org

(Difference between revisions)
(2. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise safety issues? If yes,)
(3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution?)
Line 113: Line 113:
====3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution? ====
====3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution? ====
-
The IFC follows the biosafety regulations from the UNAM and in particular the recommendations made by the Environmental Management Unit (http://alexandria60.etcserver.com/~fqugau/residu2_archivos/ddeewsfcss/apoyo.html). A more detailed protocol for identification, evaluation, characterization and disposal of substances which might pose some kind of biological risk can be found here (http://www.biomedicas.unam.mx/_administracion/_unidades_apoyo_inst/manual_bioseguridad.pdf). These regulations include handling of the basic equipment in a laboratory, management and disposal of biological and chemical waste, correct behavior in the laboratory, how to behave in case of laboratory accidents, what to do in case of emergency (i.e. fires, earthquakes) and protection measures.
+
Clemson University have the following review boards overseeing campus research activities to ensure compliance with federal requirements:
-
Before we have started our work in the lab, we were given an introductory lecture on the basic safety measurements we have to follow with special focus on the safety level we will be working (Biosafety Level 1). Some of the Mexican regulations on biosafety are summarized here (http://amexbio.org/links.html).
+
IRB - Institutional Review Board
 +
All research, teaching and testing activities involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to initiation of the activities.
 +
IRB website: http://www.clemson.edu/research/compliance/irb/  
 +
 
 +
IACUC - Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
 +
All research, teaching and testing activities involving live vertebrate animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to initiation of the activities.
 +
IACUC website: http://www.clemson.edu/research/compliance/iacuc/
 +
 
 +
IBC - Institutional Biosafety Committee
 +
Any research or testing activity that involves the use of potentially hazardous agents (biological, chemical or rDNA) or the construction or use of genetically engineered organisms requires review by the Institutional Biosafety Committee prior to initiation of the activities.
 +
IBC website: http://www.clemson.edu/research/compliance/ibc/
 +
 
 +
Clemson University have the following unit responsible for institutional developed guidelines:
 +
EHS - Environmental Health and Safety
 +
EHS is charged with overseeing the environmental compliance of all Clemson University activities.
 +
EHS website: http://ehs.clemson.edu/
====4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering? ====
====4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering? ====
No.
No.

Revision as of 04:32, 8 September 2012

Home Team Official Team Profile Project Parts Submitted to the Registry Modeling Notebook Safety Attributions


Safety

Key questions

For iGEM 2012, teams are asked to detail how they approached any issues of biological safety associated with their projects. Specifically, teams should consider the following questions:

  1. Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of:
    • researcher safety,
    • public safety, or
    • environmental safety?
  2. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise any safety issues? If yes,
    • did you document these issues in the Registry?
    • how did you manage to handle the safety issue?
    • How could other teams learn from your experience?
  3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution?
    • If yes, what does your local biosafety group think about your project?
    • If no, which specific biosafety rules or guidelines do you have to consider in your country?
  4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?

 

Contents

1. Would any of your project ideas raise safety issues in terms of:

*Researcher safety
All bacterial stains utilized in this project are Risk Group 1 microorganisms that are not know to cause illnesses. All students participating in this project have taken training in Chemical Hygiene and Laboratory Safety, Hazardous Waste management, Biological Safety, and Responsible Conduct of Research modules required by Clemson University before initiation of the work. In addition, they have also enrolled in the Collaborative Institutional Training initiative (CITI) program. They are required to pass the Recombinant DNA/Biosafety/NIH Guidelines, and the Responsible Conduct of Research modules. Students are required to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment when working.

*Public Safety
The materials and reagents used also do not represent any safety or health risk to the general public. All students work under superposition at all time and access to the building/laboratory is restricted and controlled. No general public entrance is allowed. Hence, the possibility of accidents and malicious misuse of our experimental material by other individuals or groups is minimized.

*Environmental Safety
The current experimental designs are proof-of-concept with no planed field test. Thus,they do not pose any risks to the general public or to the environment. All chemical/biological wastes are processed following the Clemson University Environmental Health and Safety Guidelines and pertinent federal guidelines.

2. Do any of the new BioBrick parts (or devices) that you made this year raise safety issues? If yes,

No. The parts produced by our group do not raise any safety issues.

3. Is there a local biosafety group, committee, or review board at your institution?

Clemson University have the following review boards overseeing campus research activities to ensure compliance with federal requirements: IRB - Institutional Review Board All research, teaching and testing activities involving human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to initiation of the activities. IRB website: http://www.clemson.edu/research/compliance/irb/

IACUC - Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee All research, teaching and testing activities involving live vertebrate animals must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to initiation of the activities. IACUC website: http://www.clemson.edu/research/compliance/iacuc/

IBC - Institutional Biosafety Committee Any research or testing activity that involves the use of potentially hazardous agents (biological, chemical or rDNA) or the construction or use of genetically engineered organisms requires review by the Institutional Biosafety Committee prior to initiation of the activities. IBC website: http://www.clemson.edu/research/compliance/ibc/

Clemson University have the following unit responsible for institutional developed guidelines: EHS - Environmental Health and Safety EHS is charged with overseeing the environmental compliance of all Clemson University activities. EHS website: http://ehs.clemson.edu/

4. Do you have any other ideas how to deal with safety issues that could be useful for future iGEM competitions? How could parts, devices and systems be made even safer through biosafety engineering?

No.