Difference between revisions of "Safety/Risk Groups"

What if we want to use a Risk Group 3 or 4 organism?

Don't do it. Find a substitute.

Risk Groups 3 and 4 include the most serious and deadly pathogens in the world. They require extremely stringent safety precautions and specialized lab facilities. There is no compelling reason for any iGEM team to choose to work with Risk Group 3 or 4 organisms, when instead you could choose from the vast array of interesting project topics that use only Risk Group 1 or 2 organisms.

Using safer substitutes for dangerous organisms is entirely appropriate for iGEM. For example, the 2013 Paris Bettencourt team studied tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis is a Risk Group 3 organism, so for safety reasons, they substituted a related Risk Group 2 organism (Mycobacterium smegmatis) in their experiments. These experiments were a proof of principle for their project ideas.

Animals and plants have no Risk Group

The four Risk Groups only apply to microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses). For animals, plants, and other multicellular organisms, there are different safety guidelines. Please consult with your advisor or university authorities if you plan to do experiments with animals and plants.

If you are using a part from an animal or plant, you should consider the function of the part, and consider whether it might be dangerous to humans. For example, the gene for Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) comes from the jellyfish Aequorea victoria, which does not have a Risk Group. GFP is only a fluorescent protein, absorbing and emitting light, so it is safe for humans and you can use it in a Safety Level 1 lab. But if you consider a different gene from A. victoria, such as the gene for the toxin in its stinging tentacles, you might conclude that you should only use that gene under strict safety conditions!

1. Common iGEM organisms

2. Other Reliable Sources

If you cannot find your species in any of the recommended sources, you must find another reliable source. There may be a paper in the peer-reviewed scientific literature that describes your species. Your country's government might have its own list of microorganisms and their Risk Groups.

For help finding a reliable source, you can consult your advisor, or speak to the biosafety authorities of your university. You can also contact <safety AT igem DOT org> for help.

Canadian Pathogen Safety Data Sheets (PSDS)

The Public Health Agency of Canada has published safety data sheets for a wide variety of microorganisms.

• In English
• En Français

To use the PSDS, find your species in the list. Click on the species name to open extensive safety information about that species. Scroll down to "SECTION VII" and look for "RISK GROUP CLASSIFICATION" or "CONTAINMENT REQUIREMENTS".

NIH Guidelines, Appendix B

The NIH Guidelines are a set of rules that govern research on recombinant/synthetic DNA in the United States. Appendix B of the guidelines gives a list of pathogens in Risk Groups 2, 3, and 4. It does not list Risk Group 1 organisms.

Click here to go directly to Appendix B.