Safety

As natural scientists, we prioritize safety in all our daily work to mitigate potential health risks.

BeeVAX required the work with strains of Escherichia coli, Komagataella phaffii (formerly known as Pichia pastoris) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All of these are categorized as Safety Level 1 (S1) organisms, which do not pose any health concerns to adult humans. The University of Münster provided us with a laboratory that complies with the standards required for working with S2 organisms, so we were perfectly equipped for our purposes. It is worth noting that German genetic engineering laws are exceptionally stringent, thus, we ensured to be fully informed and thereby aligned with the regional regulations. Prior to laboratory work, the entire team received detailed instructions on safety regulations for general lab work, work with S1 organisms, and genetic engineering operations from Dr. Moritz Gansbiller, the laboratory manager. Those include but are not limited to: Appropriate work clothes (lab coats, long trousers, sturdy shoes, protective gloves and safety glasses), tied-up hair, careful handling of hazardous substances, cleanliness of workplaces, record-keeping in a lab book, localization of first aid-kits, emergency showers, emergency switches, and fire extinguishers.

Moreover, we place significant emphasis on meeting the requirements set forth by iGEM. We engaged with our methods, organisms, and components throughout the completion of the Check In Form, as well as the Preliminary and Final Safety Form. This included data on Saccharomyces cerevisiae EBY100, Komagataella phaffii CBS7435 pep4 KO, the protein Vitellogenin from Apis mellifera (the Western honey bee) and Apis mellifera itself, since BeeVAX held out the prospect that we might vaccinate bees once the procedure was fully developed. Therefore, we made sure that we had access to materials that are needed for beekeeping. It is self-explanatory that we also read into German law regarding animal testing. Eventually, we did not work with bees, but it was important for us to take action in advance to maintain the option.

Beyond the guidelines of the German government, the University of Münster, and iGEM, we conducted a project-specific risk assessment. While designing our experiments, we revised whether there were additional requests we would have to consider. For example, we polled every team member about known allergies, so we could take measures to prevent exposure to compounds with allergic properties. Fortunately, no allergies were reported.

We were aware that our team consists of students with different levels of experience regarding synthetic biology, genetic engineering, microbiology, and wet lab work in general. Therefore, we attached great importance to mentoring the less experienced students. One part of this mentoring plan was a two-day seminar, in which the Master students imparted fundamental microbiological laboratory techniques to the other team members. Throughout the project, Bachelor students were closely supervised by experienced Master students when conducting experiments. This approach ensured a supportive and collaborative learning environment for all team members.

By proactively addressing potential risks and fostering mentorship within our team, we aimed to maintain a safe and inclusive research environment while taking the diverse expertise of our members into account.