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History of biocontainment for GMOs


In 1993 the NIH produced a set of guidelines for research involving recombinant DNA molecules, in the report it is recommended that engineered microbe survival or engineered DNA transmission is less than 1 cell per 10^8 cells [2]. Currently, many genetic barrier strategies are able to reduce genetic transmission or provide induced lethality within these guidelines. There have been observed a great number of instances of GMOs escaping from the lab [3]. However, there have been no bio-hazardous accidents linked to either GMOs or synthetic biology [4].

Containment strategies


Engineered Auxotrophy


Examples of engineered auxotrophy

1991 Conditional-Suicide Containment System for Bacteria Which Mineralize Aromatics – Here they have a Pseudomonas that degrades benzoates for bioremediation, and then dies when substrate is no longer present [5].


Induced Lethality


Examples of Induced Lethality

1991 - Development of efficient suicide mechanisms for biological containment of bacteria. – They use a lactose inducible system for the production of the RelF [8].


Gene-Flow barriers


Example of gene-flow barriers


Orthogonal genetics


Success of various biocontainment strategies


Concerns about genetic biocontainment strategies



Outreach about Synthetic Biology and Biocontainment


The four steps from the paper:

  • 1) How can synthetic organisms' physiology disrupt nature?
  • 2) How can synthetic organisms disrupt habitats?
  • 3) Can synthetic organisms evolve quickly and persist in habitats?
  • 4) How much risk is associated with gene transfer?

IGEM Connection



  1. (Molin et al., 1987) [Molin1987]
  2. Wilson DJ. . pmid:11652293. PubMed HubMed [Wilson1993]
  3. Moe-Behrens GH, Davis R, and Haynes KA. . pmid:23355834. PubMed HubMed [Haynes2013]
  4. Schmidt M and de Lorenzo V. . pmid:22710182. PubMed HubMed [Lorenzo2012]
  5. Contreras A, Molin S, and Ramos JL. . pmid:16348490. PubMed HubMed [Contreras1991]
  6. Steidler L, Neirynck S, Huyghebaert N, Snoeck V, Vermeire A, Goddeeris B, Cox E, Remon JP, and Remaut E. . pmid:12808464. PubMed HubMed [Steidler2003]
  7. Friedland AE, Lu TK, Wang X, Shi D, Church G, and Collins JJ. . pmid:19478183. PubMed HubMed [Friedland2009]
  8. Knudsen SM and Karlström OH. . pmid:2036024. PubMed HubMed [Knudsen1991]
  9. Ahrenholtz I, Lorenz MG, and Wackernagel W. . pmid:7986048. PubMed HubMed [Ahrenholtz1994]
  10. Torres B, Jaenecke S, Timmis KN, García JL, and Díaz E. . pmid:14663091. PubMed HubMed [Torres2003]
  11. Dana GV, Kuiken T, Rejeski D, and Snow AA. . pmid:22382962. PubMed HubMed [Dana2012]
All Medline abstracts: PubMed HubMed
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