Safety

The project goal is to develop a bacteria that consumes formate or methanol as its main carbon source. Our bacteria (E. coli TB18) will be engineered with a plasmid expressing relevant gene products in methanol or formate assimilating metabolic pathways. The genetically engineered E. coli TB18 will then be subjected to adaptive laboratory evolution.

Potential Hazard

In a laboratory setting, Escherichia coli (E. coli) poses several hazards. Firstly, it can be a significant pathogen, causing infections in laboratory personnel if proper biosafety measures are not followed. Secondly, E. coli strains can carry antibiotic resistance genes, potentially leading to the spread of resistant strains within the lab environment. Lastly, there is a risk of accidental release of E. coli from the lab, which could have environmental consequences if the released strains are capable of surviving and proliferating outside controlled conditions.

Methanol and formate can be hazardous to human health, causing toxic effects if ingested, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin. Additionally, they are highly flammable and should be stored and handled with care to prevent fire hazards and potential environmental harm.

Safety Precaution

With regards to safety, iGEM Toronto team is in full compliance with the safety and security requirements of the iGEM competition. The lab experiments were conducted in the University of Toronto Biomedical Engineering Teaching Lab and Biozone - Centre for Applied Bioscience and Bioengineering Research Lab. All laboratories fall under biosafety level 1 and level 2.

Before we start our work in the lab, all team members are required to complete EHS601 Laboratory Biosafety Training (https://ehs.utoronto.ca/our-services/biosafety/biosafety-training/) and pass the exams. In addition to the mandatory training by the University of Toronto Environmental Health & Safety Department, our lab members completed lab specific biosafety training, general lab safety and equipment training. At all times, our lab supervisor Gary Hoang (BME Teaching Lab) or Ethan Agena (Biozone) was present when our lab members were in the laboratory.

Equipment and Spaces

Our training session with our lab technician involves how to navigate the lab spaces safely. Separate training for using various laboratory equipment was conducted with graduate students.

Waste treatment / inactivation procedures

All members have adquate understanding of the protocol for the disposal of BSL level 1 microbes (autoclaving) and disposal of chemicals, biologicals, glass, and general waste in their appropriate waste containers. These ensure that the risk of chemical and biological contamination will be minimized and that no member will be hurt.