Submit a Check-In before you acquire or use any organism or part that is not on the White List.
Check-Ins are a way for you to quickly and easily ask iGEM's safety experts to review your plans for safely acquiring and using a higher risk organism/part, and to approve your plans or suggest changes.
We encourage STUDENTS, instead of instructors, to complete this form.
While you type, this form will remember your answers. When you are finished, press the "Submit" button at the bottom to send your form to the iGEM Safety Committee.
If you need help, or if you are unsure whether an organism/part requires a Check-In, email safety (at) igem (dot) org to ask.
You should submit a Check-In before you acquire or use certain materials in your lab. Specifically, you should send us a Check-In for any organism or part that is not on the White List. We expect to reply to most Check-Ins within a few days at most.
Once the iGEM Safety Committee has approved your Check-In by email, you may begin working with the material (organism or part). You may Check-In for as many organisms/parts as you wish, and any team member may send a Check-In at any time until the Jamboree.
Frequently Asked Questions about Check-Ins
What if I am unsure whether my organism/part requires a Check-In?
Ask us! Email safety AT igem DOT org to ask questions about what requires a Check-In. Or, because the Check-In form is short and easy, you can submit a Check-In even if you are unsure whether it is necessary.
We want to do a little preliminary work with an organism/part, but we might not use it for our final project. Do we still have to Check-In before we acquire the organism/part?
Yes! Please Check-In for every organism/part you want to acquire that is not on the White List, even if you will not use it in your final project. You can tell us in the "Further Comments" section that it is not for your final project, or that you are unsure. We have made the Check-In form short and easy, so you can Check-In for many parts, even ones you are not sure about using.
Uh-oh! We misunderstood the White List, and we already started working with an organism/part that requires a Check-In. What do we do?
Just let us know. Email safety AT igem DOT org to describe the situation, and send us a Check-In promptly. Tell us in the "Further Comments" section what you have done with the organism/part already.
We are going to use a lot of parts. May we combine them on a single Check-In?
If the parts all come from the same parent organism, you may combine them on a single Check-In, but make sure you give complete information about each part. If the parts come from different parent organisms, please send separate Check-Ins.
You approved our Check-In for an organism/part. Do we still need to ask our university/institution about it? What about checking local laws?
Yes! The iGEM Safety Committee does not replace institutional review boards, or your local government. You are responsible for obtaining from your university or government any approvals that might be necessary. Your university or government might have different rules about what organisms/parts require special approval.
We are only using organisms/parts from the White List, and therefore we do not need to submit any Check-Ins. Do we still need to ask our university/institution about our project? What about checking local laws?
Yes! Again, the iGEM Safety Committee does not replace institutional review boards, or your local government. Even if you are only using organisms/parts that are generally considered "safe", you still have the responsibility to follow good laboratory procedures. Also, you are responsible for ensuring that your project complies with the rules of your university/institution, and with the laws of your nation.
