C. elegans and all the plasmids used in the lab (as of November 2019) are considered low risk. That means that with adequate and simple steps, any contamination of the environment can be avoided. Plasmids and strains as of this date carry no risk to humans. This is especially due to two facts: C. elegans requires fluids to survive and thus will not easily be transmitted on dry surfaces or clothes. In addition, the animals dye at temperatures above 25C, which means they will die in contact with human skin.

All personal have to be informed and educated about the biological safety rules in the lab. A write-up can be found here. This training will be repeated regularly (at least annually). Here is the short summary: vorlage_s1unterweisung.doc

For us, since the organisms are low risk in terms of pathogenicity, the main risk factor is environmental contamination. Due to the very specific requirements of osmolarity and temperature, this is highly unlikely. nevertheless, we are required to document all strains carefully. Quarterly, the strains list should be updated, printed and signed (by Monika).

formblatt_z_animal_list_mscholz10102019.docx

The overall risk assessement and poroject summary is here: formblatt_z_mscholz-20191010.docx