What negative effects would scientists check for to see if a given technology or location is safe?

Short version - some physicists have created a pathway that appears to permit near-instantaneous travel between two distant points. Objects propelled through one side on the correct vector will emerge on the other side immediately. After initial tests with inert objects and recorders, scientists decide to send some life forms through - a mixture of bacteria, plants, and small animals.

When studying the effects on these life forms, what would biologists be looking for? I'd assume things like cancers, infections, and general well-being, but is there anything more specific? How many generations would they want to study to generally agree that travel through the Pathway appears to be safe?

Edited to add:

The specific thing I'm working on (and I realise this is getting close to making it story-specific rather than worldbuilding, which is why I didn't include it at first) is a background document styled as an excerpt from a larger scientific journal, describing the steps that were taken ahead of using this pathway for manned exploration (that document will probably become part of a question of its own shortly). Given some of the, ah...oddities involved in this process, I want it to be clear that we're as sure as we can be that it's not fatal before humans go through.

posted almost 8 years ago

Werrf‭

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