Ensuring that innovation and responsibility progress together in our iGEM project.
Our team approaches synthetic biology with the principle that innovation and responsibility progress together. At every stage of our project—from concept to experiment—we are guided by institutional biosafety standards and iGEM’s safety framework. We built our workflow around proactive risk assessment, containment, and compliance, ensuring that all work is conducted ethically and safely within approved facilities.
All experiments take place in certified Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) laboratories at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). These laboratories are inspected and overseen by the Institutional Biosafety and Chemical Safety Committee (IBCC) in accordance with:
Before entering the lab, all members completed mandatory BioRAFT safety modules required by UTD, including General Safety, Chemical Safety, Biological Safety, Waste Management, and Biohazards Training. Team members also reviewed UTD’s Institutional Biosafety Manual and participated in procedure-specific demonstrations led by faculty mentors. We maintain active communication with these supervisors to ensure every procedure aligns with approved protocols. Beyond compliance, we emphasize a culture of responsibility, awareness, and continuous learning.
Peer-reviewed studies demonstrate that tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) confer tolerance to desiccation by protecting proteins, membranes, and cells during stress. Our project uses synthetically created tardigrade-derived IDPs to stabilize mRNA and other biologics. These proteins are non-pathogenic and non-infectious, making them safe to handle within BSL-2 facilities and compliant with iGEM’s White List requirements.
Prohibited activities: We are not performing any prohibited activities. We do not use organisms from Risk Group 3 or 4, parts from Risk Group 4 organisms, human subjects or samples, or release any genetically modified organism outside the laboratory. All experiments remain contained within UTD IBCC-approved spaces.
White List and Check-In procedures: All chassis and parts are within the iGEM White List. Our tardigrade-derived synthetic genes and mammalian cell culture (CHO Lec 3.2.8.1) have been reported through the iGEM Check-In Form in accordance with iGEM’s advance-permission policy.
Advance-permission activities: We do not perform any activity requiring special iGEM authorization (no animal work, human experiments, environmental samples, gene drives, or novel antimicrobial resistance factors). DNA is purchased exclusively from IGSC-member companies (Integrated DNA Technologies and Twist Bioscience), which provide mandatory sequence-screening reports.
We conduct molecular cloning in E. coli DH5α (K-12 derivative) – a Risk Group 1 strain – using BSL-1 practices, and mammalian expression in CHO Lec 3.2.8.1 (Cricetulus griseus) cells under BSL-2 conditions. Work with human-origin HEK293T cells also follows BSL-2 containment. All manipulations occur in Class II biosafety cabinets; biological waste is autoclaved or chemically disinfected before disposal through UTD’s regulated waste system.
Chemical hazards identified in our UTD risk assessment:
Controls implemented: All personnel wear PPE (lab coat, gloves, eye protection) at all times. Volatile or mutagenic work is performed in a chemical fume hood, and all sterile biological manipulations are performed in biosafety cabinets. Ethidium bromide is handled in a designated area with labeled waste containers and UTD’s hazardous-waste disposal program. All reagents are documented in UTD’s chemical inventory and accompanied by Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
These standards cover recombinant-DNA research, biosafety-level criteria, and waste inactivation procedures that we follow in every experiment.
All team members completed BioRAFT training and lab-specific orientations under IBCC oversight. We maintain written SOPs for accident reporting, PPE requirements, access controls, waste management, and emergency response. We do not work alone after hours, and all experiments follow the UTD Chemical Hygiene Plan. These measures—together with supervision by faculty and UTD biosafety staff—ensure that our project meets the requirements of the NIH, CDC, IBCC, and iGEM Safety and Security Policies.