Difference between revisions of "Safety/Risk Groups"

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<h2>Risk Groups</h2>
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<h2 >What are Risk Groups and Safety Levels?</h2>
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<p>iGEM teams often do projects that have an immediate practical application. But <em>within the context of the iGEM competition</em>, wet-lab projects should remain at an experimental stage. iGEM teams should not release or deploy any genetically modified organisms, or the products of genetically modified organisms, outside the lab.</p>
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<p>Any teams that release their genetically modified organisms, or products of their genetically modified organisms, will be referred to the <a href="https://2017.igem.org/Competition/Responsible_Conduct">Responsible Conduct Committee</a>.</p>
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<p>Microorganisms are classified into four <b>Risk Groups</b>, and biological laboratories are classified into four corresponding <b>Safety Levels</b>. Risk Group 1 contains non-pathogenic organisms like yeast and E. coli K-12. The majority of iGEM teams use only Risk Group 1 organisms. Some teams use Risk Group 2 organisms. </p>
  
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<p>Instead of aiming toward release, we encourage you to focus on producing the best laboratory results.</p>
 
  
 
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<h2>Why?</h2>
 
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<p><strong>Keep Your Activities Legal:</strong> In most countries, it is illegal to release GMOs or their products into the natural environment without extensive government permits and approvals. Obtaining these permits and approvals would probably take longer than the entire iGEM competition. Instead, you should focus your efforts on producing the best laboratory results. (And, of course, you should not release your GMOs illegally!)</p>
 
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<p><strong>Be a Responsible Scientist:</strong> There are many extremely complicated risks involved in releasing a genetically modified organism (GMO) outside the lab. Without extensive testing, you cannot know if your GMO is safe for humans and the environment. It would be dangerous, even reckless, to release a GMO without the proper risk assessment and testing.</p>
 
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<p>Also, releasing GMOs is a huge international controversy. Because of this controversy, when synthetic biologists seem to act recklessly, they can damage the reputation of the whole field of synthetic biology. As iGEM team members, you are ambassadors between scientists and the public, so it is important that you be excellent scientific citizens!</p>
 
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<h2>What actions count as "release"?</h2>
 
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<p>If you genetically modify an organism in the lab, you may not deliberately release it outside the lab, even inside a "containing" device. You also may not release any chemicals synthesized by a genetically modified organism, even if you purify the chemicals so that no living organisms remain.</p>
 
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<p>The following examples should clarify what counts as "release" or "not release":</p>
 
  
 
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<th>Release</th>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<th>Not Release</th>
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<th>Risk Group 1</th>
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<th>Risk Group 2</th>
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<th>Risk Group 3</th>
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<th>Risk Group 4</th>
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<li>Putting your GMOs into the natural environment (soil, lakes, oceans, forests, etc.)</li>
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<li>Putting your GMOs into a human body</li>
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<th>Examples</th>
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<li>Putting the <strong>products</strong> of your GMOs into the natural environment, or a human body. "Products" includes any chemicals that your GMOs might synthesize, even if you purify them.</li>
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<td><i>E.&nbsp;coli</i>&nbsp;K-12, <i>S.&nbsp;cerevisiae</i> (yeast), <i>Lactobacillus</i>, <i>B.&nbsp;subtilis</i></td>
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<li>Putting your GMOs (or their products) into a containing device, and then putting that containing device into the natural environment</li>
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<td><i>Streptococcus</i>, Herpes virus, most mammalian cell lines</td>
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<li>Eating food made using your GMOs (bread, beer, etc.)</li>
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<td><i>Yersinia&nbsp;pestis</i> (black plague), HIV, SARS virus</td>
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<li><span style="color: red; font-weight: bold">Bringing your GMOs or their products to the Jamboree. This includes any biological material, including synthetic DNA.</span></li>
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<td>Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Lassa virus</td>
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<th>Description</th>
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<td>Risk Group 1 organisms do not cause disease in healthy adult humans.</td>
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<li>Submitting part samples to the Registry, according to the <a href="http://parts.igem.org/Help:Submission">submission guidelines</a>.</li>
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<td>Risk Group 2 organisms can cause disease in humans, but the disease is treatable or preventable.</td>
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<li>Transporting cells or DNA between two labs, in proper packaging, for research or teaching purposes</li>
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<td>Risk Group 3 organisms cause serious disease in humans. Treatments and vaccines for these diseases may exist.</td>
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<li>Releasing software or hardware</li>
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<td>Risk Group 4 organisms cause deadly disease in humans, and they can easily travel from one person to another. No treatments or vaccines exist for these diseases.</td>
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<li>Performing a field experiment using a wild-type organism <a href="https://2013.igem.org/Team:TU-Munich/Results/Implementation">(see TU-Munich 2013 for an example)</a></li>
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<li>Disposing of sterilized lab waste</li>
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<th>Lab Safety Level</th>
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<td>Safety Level 1</td>
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<td>Safety Level 2</td>
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<td>Safety Level 3</td>
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<td>Safety Level 4</td>
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<th>Typical Lab Photo</th>
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<td><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:BioSafetyLevel1.JPG"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/8/8a/BioSafetyLevel1.JPG" width="150px"></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:Sea-turtle-bsl2.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/4/47/Sea-turtle-bsl2.jpg" width="150px"></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:Phac-aspc-class3bsc.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/f/f5/Phac-aspc-class3bsc.jpg" width="150px"></a></td>
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<td><a href="https://2015.igem.org/File:Cdc-bsl4.jpg"><img src="https://static.igem.org/mediawiki/2015/c/c9/Cdc-bsl4.jpg" width="100px"></a></td>
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<th>Typical Work Area</th>
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<td>Open bench</td>
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<td>Biosafety cabinet / laminar&nbsp;flow&nbsp;hood</td>
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<td>Class 3 biosafety cabinet</td>
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<td>Full isolation suits</td>
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<td>&nbsp;</td>
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<td colspan="2">Permitted in iGEM</td>
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<td colspan="2">Not permitted in iGEM</td>
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<h3>Are you unsure?</h3>
 
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<p>Email <i>safety AT igem DOT org</i>. We can advise you about whether your experiment counts as "release", and help you think of alternate experiments that are more appropriate for iGEM.</p>
 
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Revision as of 15:38, 9 January 2017

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What are Risk Groups and Safety Levels?

Microorganisms are classified into four Risk Groups, and biological laboratories are classified into four corresponding Safety Levels. Risk Group 1 contains non-pathogenic organisms like yeast and E. coli K-12. The majority of iGEM teams use only Risk Group 1 organisms. Some teams use Risk Group 2 organisms.

  Risk Group 1 Risk Group 2 Risk Group 3 Risk Group 4
Examples E. coli K-12, S. cerevisiae (yeast), Lactobacillus, B. subtilis Streptococcus, Herpes virus, most mammalian cell lines Yersinia pestis (black plague), HIV, SARS virus Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Lassa virus
Description Risk Group 1 organisms do not cause disease in healthy adult humans. Risk Group 2 organisms can cause disease in humans, but the disease is treatable or preventable. Risk Group 3 organisms cause serious disease in humans. Treatments and vaccines for these diseases may exist. Risk Group 4 organisms cause deadly disease in humans, and they can easily travel from one person to another. No treatments or vaccines exist for these diseases.
Lab Safety Level Safety Level 1 Safety Level 2 Safety Level 3 Safety Level 4
Typical Lab Photo
Typical Work Area Open bench Biosafety cabinet / laminar flow hood Class 3 biosafety cabinet Full isolation suits
  Permitted in iGEM Not permitted in iGEM