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Team:Wageningen UR/Safety of the Application
From 2013.igem.org
- Safety introduction
- General safety
- Fungi-related safety
- Biosafety Regulation
- Safety Improvement Suggestions
- Safety of the Application
Improvement Suggestions
Lovastatin is a compound used in medicines used in lowering LDL cholesterol for patients suffering cardiovascular disease[1]. At this moment it is produced in Aspergillus Terreus which produces toxins at the same time. Since it is undesirable to produce toxins at the same time as production of lovastatin, a new production host is needed. Aspergillus niger as a mass producer of organic acids and more, it is safe candidate for lovastatin production.
According to OSHA and ANSI, Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) of lovastatin is obtained. Lovastatin as the end-product is non-replicative and contains no genetic material. Nevertheless, anything that is going to be used as medicine compounds will first have to undergo rigorous clinical trials.
1.Muldoon, M.F., et al., Effects of lovastatin on cognitive function and psychological well-being. The American journal of medicine, 2000. 108(7): p. 538-546.
