Safety Form: Xanthomonas Bacteria

1. Organism name and strain name or number
   • Xanthomonas bacteria
     
     
2. Organism Risk Group
   • Risk Group 2
     
     
3. If you are using this organism as a chassis, write “chassis”. If you are using a genetic part from the organism, give the name of the part and a brief description of what it does and why you are using it.
   • Transcriptional Activator-Like (TAL) proteins are proteins that bind specific sequences of DNA and in nature function as a plant pathogen by cutting up native plant DNA. We have removed the nuclease effector of these proteins and using them to bind DNA and function as a road-block repressor.
     
     
4. How did you physically acquire the organism or part?
   • Addgene
     
     
5. What potential safety/health risks to team members, other people at your institution, or the general public could arise from your use of this organism/part?
   • None. They are designed to simply bind our synthetic DNA sequences, which do not show up anywhere else in the yeast genome, and are otherwise inactive.
     
     
6. What measures do you intend to take to ensure that your project is safe for team members, other people at your institution, and the general public?
   • The expression of our TALs is driven by the Z4EV promoter. We can tune the expression driven by this promoter by varying the concentration of beta estradiol in the media of our yeast. This allows to stop production of these proteins if they were to somehow be causing unforeseen problems.
     
     
7. If you are using only a part from the organism, and you believe the part itself is not dangerous, explain why you believe it is not dangerous.
   • It is designed to bind our specific synthetic binding sites, which do not appear anywhere else in the yeast genome, and otherwise do not perform any other functions in yeast.
     
     
8. Why do you need to use this organism/part? Is there an organism/part from a less dangerous Risk Group that would accomplish the same purpose?
   • Zinc Finger proteins can perform a similar function but are significantly less effective and more to difficult to build.
     
     
9. Is the organism/part listed under the Australia Group guidelines, or otherwise restricted for transport? If so, how will your team ship this part to iGEM and the Jamborees?
   • No
     
     
10. Please describe the BioSafety Level of the lab in which the team works, or description of safety features of lab. If you are using organisms with a BSL level greater than your lab, please explain any additional safety precautions you are taking.
    • The BioSafety Level of the lab is 2 and matches the BSL level of our part.