The Safety Information Crisis in Biodesign

Dear reader,

A biodesign student spends six hours searching for Spirulina safety protocols. A startup delays production for three weeks because they can't verify containment requirements for mycelium.

A studio contaminates their workspace because no one knew Bacillus subtilis needed autoclaved disposal.

The information exists, buried in 200-page PDFs written for compliance officers, not designers building the future of materials.

The Biodesign Safety Co-Pilot solves this in 30 seconds.

After watching too many talented designers abandon projects because they couldn't access basic safety information, I built the tool I wished had existed. This is for everyone who believed biology was "too regulated" to explore freely.

→ Generate Your First Safety Brief

What You Get

Enter any organism or biomaterial. Receive a structured brief with:

• Biosafety Level (BSL) and Risk Group classification

• Required PPE and containment measures

• Waste disposal and environmental protocols

• Plain-language context for your workspace

Copy it into your SOP. Share it with your team. Actually understand what you're doing.

Why Not Just Ask ChatGPT?

Generic AI gives inconsistent answers and won't distinguish E. coli K-12 (safe) from O157:H7 (pathogenic).

The Safety Co-Pilot uses specialized prompting refined over 50+ iterations to deliver:

• Standardized safety categories every time

• Risk-appropriate language for designers, technicians, or companies

• Disposal specifics often missing from generic AI

• Built-in verification prompts for institutional review

It's the difference between "information" and "guidance you can use."

Real Example: Koji Mold

Before: Designer googles Aspergillus oryzae. Finds sake forums and a 2004 paper. Unclear if ventilation needed. Studio has no autoclave…is that a problem?

After 30 seconds: BSL-1, GRAS status. Work in ventilated area, no biosafety cabinet needed. Wear N95 for dry spores. Dispose with 10% bleach (30 min). If scaling beyond 5L, consult institutional biosafety.

Now they know: Current studio works with ventilation. N95 masks sufficient. Bleach replaces autoclaving. Exactly when to escalate.

This clarity should have existed from day one.

How It Works

Runs entirely in your browser. No backend, no tracking, no data storage.

1. Paste your OpenAI API key (never stored)

2. Enter organism or material

3. Select your role (Designer/Technician/Company)

4. Get your brief in ~30 seconds

Foundational Tier members receive full source code to audit, modify, and deploy internally.

Trust & Limitations

This tool provides educational guidance, not institutional authorization.

Always verify with your institution's EHS office for GMO work, consult MSDS for chemicals, and escalate when scaling beyond research quantities.

Beta limitations: Best for well-documented organisms. Does not replace formal risk assessments. Focuses on biological hazards, not chemical safety.

We built transparency into the architecture because trust requires verifiability.

Try These Three

1. Spirulina platensis — GRAS organisms still need specific handling

2. Mycelium (Pleurotus ostreatus) — Spore exposure risks for "safe" fungi

3. Bacterial cellulose — Disposal requirements for fermentation

Each search teaches you something generic AI misses.

→ Start Now

In Closing…

Safety is foundational. This is another tool in a suite designed to make specialized biological knowledge accessible without sacrificing rigor. Together, they form an intelligence infrastructure for creative practitioners working with living systems.

Until next week,

Raphael Kim
Founder, Biodesign Academy

FAQs About the Biodesign Safety Co-Pilot

What is the Biodesign Safety Co-Pilot?

The Biodesign Safety Co-Pilot is a browser-based AI tool that generates structured, lab-ready biosafety briefs for any organism or biomaterial in about 30 seconds. It tells you what PPE to use, how to handle waste, and whether your workspace meets safety requirements—before you start working.

How does the Safety Co-Pilot improve biosafety in design practice?

It transforms scattered institutional safety data into clear, actionable guidance. Instead of searching hundreds of pages of PDFs, users instantly receive risk classifications, containment steps, and disposal protocols specific to their context (designer, technician, or company).

Why can’t I just use ChatGPT or a generic AI model for biosafety?

General AI tools are inconsistent—they often blur safe and pathogenic species, omit PPE guidance, or misclassify biosafety levels.
The Safety Co-Pilot uses a custom prompt architecture refined through over 50 iterations and aligned with WHO/CDC and EHS standards, producing verified and structured safety briefs.

Who should use the Safety Co-Pilot?

It’s designed for anyone working with living materials—designers, educators, students, lab technicians, startups, and studios. Each role receives the appropriate level of safety depth, from beginner-friendly analogies to full SOP-format protocols.

How does it generate results without storing my data?

The Co-Pilot runs entirely in your browser. It uses your OpenAI API key locally, never uploads or stores data, and keeps all operations on the client side. There’s no backend or tracking, ensuring full privacy.

What kind of information do the safety briefs include?

Each brief covers four structured areas:

1. Regulatory Classification — Biosafety Level (BSL) and Risk Group (RG).

2. Practical Handling Protocol — PPE, containment, and decontamination steps.

3. Waste & Environmental Guidance — Disposal and release procedures.

4. Plain-Language Context — Why each step matters for your project.

Is the tool open source or auditable?

Yes. Foundational Tier members can access the complete open-source codebase to audit prompts, verify methods, or adapt the tool to institutional standards. Transparency and verifiability are core design principles.

How accurate is the information provided?

The tool’s guidance is derived from validated biosafety standards (CDC, WHO, EHS). It’s most accurate for well-documented species and research-scale contexts but should always be verified locally for GMO or scale-up work.

What are its known limitations?

• Works best for common organisms; rare species may produce general guidance.

• Not a substitute for institutional risk assessments or grant documentation.

• Focuses on biological, not chemical, safety.

• Training data current through January 2025—users should confirm any reclassifications.

How does this tool fit into Biodesign Academy’s larger mission?

The Safety Co-Pilot is the first part of Biodesign Academy’s intelligence infrastructure—AI companions that make biosafety, materials performance, and ecological design accessible to all. Future tools include the Materials, Protein, and Regeneration Co-Pilots, all built on the same open and educational framework.

What makes this approach trustworthy?

Transparency, verifiability, and user control. Every prompt can be inspected, every result explained, and every action runs locally. The Co-Pilot models a new kind of responsible AI—one built on biosafety literacy rather than black-box automation.

How can I start using it?

Visit Generate Your First Safety Brief to enter your organism or biomaterial name.
No sign-up required, no data tracking—just 30 seconds to get the safety clarity your project needs.