Safety is a top priority in our lab work, and we are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all researchers involved in our project. In this section, we will outline the various safety rules we followed to address potential safety issues.

We have chosen experimental procedures and materials that are not associated with inherent risks or dangers.In our project we modified the origin of replication of plasmids, conducted transformation experiments and measured the plasmid copy number. For this purpose we used the E. coli strain dh5 alpha, which is non-pathogenic and harmless to humans. This strain is extensively used in laboratories and is considered safe for research purposes. In addition, we used plasmids from the ColE1 family. These plasmids provide a safe and controlled way to introduce specific genes into organisms. The plasmids contained approved chromoproteins from the iGEM registry part collection (BBa_K1692032, BBa_K1033917, BBa_K1033926). Furthermore, for our experiments we used synthesized DNA, which was ordered from an approved IGSC member. Our wet lab work mainly involved molecular biology techniques with no risk for our safety nor for the environment.

Even though all of our experiments were conducted on white list organisms we still followed the highest level of safety following the next rules:

Every team member underwent comprehensive safety training before starting any lab work.

We organized our workspace as described in biological safety training.

All team members were required to wear appropriate equipment, including lab coats, gloves, and closed-toe shoes when working in the laboratory.

The equipment was inspected regularly to ensure it is in good condition and replaced when necessary.

Experimental protocols were always followed precisely.

Emergency contact information, including phone numbers for local emergency services and lab personnel, were posted prominently.

Proper disposal procedures were followed for all hazardous waste materials, in accordance with local regulations.

When using Ethidium Bromide (Etbr), a compound that known as mutagenic, we used it in small concentrations and only with protective gear and inside a chemical hood.

Aside from that, Tel Aviv university has a biological safety unit that provides guidance and assistance to university students in general, as well as our iGEM team. Guidelines can be seen in the following link:
In Addition, We had the support and guidance of an advisory committee of 4 PI from the faculty of life sciences and their respective lab members.

We are dedicated to maintaining the highest safety standards to protect our team members, the environment, and the success of our research. By following these safety rules we ensure that our lab work is conducted in a safe and responsible manner.