Health and safety training
Before starting experimental work, we have identified chemical/biological Hazards and Risks. We consider that having a proper training in safety and security at the beginning of our experimental work prepared us to be more organized, responsible for our actions and respectful for those of others.
We have followed all instructions from our institution concerning the lab electrical and gas systems. Emergency numbers are displayed near the phones. No one was allowed to work alone in the laboratory. In addition, the french system provides all young adults with a training in first-aid and safety. Moreover, several students, advisors and instructors have the life-saving diploma and are also trained for firefighting. A specific formation for handling chemicals and modified bacteria carrying antibiotic resistance genes was given to each student before to start the bench work.

Restricted access
Laboratory experiments always imply handling hazardous substances. And their use can present a risk for the health of the manipulator or for the environment if not stored, used and eliminated in waste properly, according to their harmfullness. For these reasons, the access of the laboratory was limited to those involved in the project.
Each room is equipped with labels on each door to inform people of what they may find inside and what safety procedures they need to follow.

Waste management
Chemical wastes. All reagents are eliminated in the appropriate waste recovery barrels.
Biological wastes. We used the autoclave of the microbiology teaching plate-form to decontaminate our biological solid and liquid wastes : no bacteria, modified or not, are released in the environment.

Cleaning
All work benches were cleaned every day. The whole lab was cleaned every week.
CLEAN AREAS TO ENCOURAGE GOOD PRACTICES!

Protection
Some of the reagents used are irritant, toxic and can be potential carcinogens (agarose, polyacrylamid, methanol, Ethidium bromide…). To minimize the impact of their use, they are manipulated following the supplier’s instructions, wearing appropriate personal safety equipment, i.e. gloves, safety glasses, labcoats and under extractor hood when necessary. All samples, tubes, vials are clearly identified/labeled to avoid inappropriate mix between two non compatible solvents.
We took specific safety measures for the use of Ethidium Bromide (EtBr). Ethidium bromide is known to act as a mutagen because it intercalates whithin the double strand DNA helix. To avoid the dissemination of EtBr in the lab, it is stored and used in the same room where the electrophoresis gels are revealed. EtBr is NEVER incorporated into the electrophoresis gels, but used in staining bath instead to avoid the contamination of electrophoresis equipment. Specific trash barrel for genotoxics contaminated material are used for EtBr-contaminated material.
To sum up: GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICES: PROTECT YOURSELF, PROTECT PEOPLE AROUND YOU, PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT.

a remplir

Our institution (INSA Lyon) has a biosafety group. However, we have a general safety and health committee that deals, among others, with issues related to GMOs and that allowed their handling. All students follow a 4 hour general health and safety course on how to handle chemical, biological and fire risks among others, completed by additional biosafety and lab training all along the year by the professors, in relation to their course. Our institution does not have any specific biosafety rule but complies to all the french biosafety regulations.

As far as the legal aspect is concerned, these is no specific legal framework for synthetic biology in France yet. Since our bacteria are Genetically Modified Organisms, their use is restricted by the legal framework about the use of GMOs, which is quite restrictive, based on the precautionary principle. Even though synthetic biology doesn’t yet have a specific regulation framework yet, discussions are taking place about this issue at the French government and National Assembly levels to define a specific regulation. A first congress and public audition (Program) has occurred in May 2011.

After standard parts, why not a standard chassis ?

The INSA de Lyon team proposes that a “safety kit” should be provided to each team at the beginning of their experimental work. We think that if applied, this option would strongly diminish the contamination risks or gene dissemination into the nature.

This kit should contain:

• a collection of chassis that could be used to receive the DNA constructions. The strains’ genome would be the result of the gene knockout method which is used to inactivate a specific gene. With the new genetic technologies that evolve each day, now it is even possible to purchase a commercial Gene Knockout System which can be designed to knock-out the gene of interest. For example, an applications of this genetic instrument is the construction of auxotrophic strains (or nutrient-deficient) which are mutant strains of bacteria that are unable to grow on minimal media. The proliferation of these organisms outside the laboratory is limited because the lab chemicals are not found in nature.
• a toxin/antitoxin system coupled with a lysing agent/cytotoxic compount/degradation agent which is provided on a separate backbone (it would leave the choice to the participants whether or not they want to use it). If the strain containing this system is released, horizontal gene transfer between a non-natural bacteria and a natural one is prohibited. Thus, with the anti-toxin inside the chassis’ genome, and the toxin and cytotoxic compound in the plasmid DNA, the horizontal gene transfer will induce the death of the recipient.
• a strain suicide option represented by a gene-killer (also found on a backbone) which is activated in the absence/presence of a certain substrate. For example, Contreras et al. (1991) [1], proposed the construction of a confined strain capable of digesting polluted substance. In the absence of pollutant in the environment, a suicide gene is expressed and the cell is destructed.

We are aware that engineering these DNA sequences is not easy. This is why we suggest that a new section or a new reward should be proposed : “ Best Safety Device”. For teams it would be a real challenge and their investment for creating new safety devices would be rewarded.

In synthetic biology the safety and security measures are of primary importance. Every team should have a proper formation in safety and security issues. INSA de Lyon team suggests that one of the competition requirements should be a diploma validating a proper safety formation.