Lab Safety

All laboratory work was conducted in certified Biosafety Level 1 (S1) laboratories at Ruhr-University Bochum. Before entering the laboratory, all team members completed mandatory safety training. All work was carried out following the legal S1 regulations of Germany.

When working in the laboratory, we strictly followed safety protocols, including the following measures:

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Team members always wore appropriate PPE and adhered to the standard dress code (lab coat, tied-back hair, no open-toed shoes, etc.).
• Aseptic Techniques. We consistently employed aseptic techniques during experiments.These included washing hands when entering and exiting the lab, disinfecting them first after working with bacteria, to prevent organisms from entering the drain, disinfecting surfaces before and after use, and keeping the workspace organised and clean.
• Sterilisation. All equipment and materials that came into contact with bacteria (glassware, pipettes, media, etc.) were autoclaved or treated with disinfectants before reuse or disposal.
• Waste Disposal. Waste materials such as test tubes, reagents, petri dishes, and pipette tips were disposed of in designated biohazard containers in accordance with laboratory protocols.
• Chemical Safety and Storage. All chemicals and reagents were carefully documented, properly stored after each use, and handled according to the laboratory safety training guidelines of Ruhr-University Bochum.

In addition, all parts used or designed during this project are listed on the iGEM whitelist. We recognise the importance of assessing risks associated with laboratory work.

Biological Safety

In our project Glow to Grow, we worked exclusively with Biosafety Level 1 organisms, including Escherichia coli, Rhodococcus opaccus 1CP, Gordonia rubripertincta CWB2 and Streptomyces coelicolor. While these are commonly used organisms, we recognise that even commonly used bacterial strains demand strict precautions.

For our main bacterial strains, we selected Escherichia coli and Rhodococcus opaccus 1CP, both non-pathogenic species, to minimise the risk for our team members and to ensure that our technology remains safe for future applications. One of our greatest concerns was reducing potential harm to both people and the environment. For this reason, we decided to work with Rhodococcus instead of Streptomyces, since Rhodococcus does not sporulate. This made it safer and easier to handle, thereby improving accessibility of our technology in the long term.

To further reduce risks, we considered the use of safer experimental materials. These measures demonstrate our commitment to safety at every stage of the project.