Chapter 4: Biosafety Principles
The risk of exposure to biological agents in a research environment depends on a number of factors (e.g., the agent, its virulence, subject’s susceptibility, route of transmission, etc.). In general, the biosafety procedures followed are designed to prevent such exposures by containing the agents being handled and using the appropriate types of PPE. To properly […]
Chapter 5: Laboratory Biosafety Practices
The foundations of protective practices in a laboratory lie in an individual’s laboratory experience, technical knowledge, personal work habits, and attitude toward laboratory safety. Unlike administrative controls, which are behaviors dictated by regulation or laboratory policy, the term “protective behavior” is used to define an innate part of each individual worker’s personal approach to the […]
Chapter 6: Laboratory Training
Training is a critical component of any integrated biological safety program. Training is intended to provide the understanding, technical knowledge, and tools that the trainee can use to improve his or her daily laboratory safety practices. At a minimum, all personnel working with biological materials must have training in the following areas prior to the […]
Chapter 8: Biohazardous Spill Response
Even with the most careful planning and implementation of a research project, the possibility of an incident or spill involving biological materials exists. The following procedures are intended to provide a planned response to such rare events. The highest priority is to provide aid to injured personnel and prevent spill area access to others. Preplanning […]
Chapter 3: List of Regulations and Guidelines
Federal, State, and Local Agency Regulations The following is a summary of federal, state, and local agency regulations and guidelines that either regulate or provide guidelines covering the use of biological agents: Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health: Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), 6th Edition, 2020. This […]
Chapter 2: Approval of Research Projects
What Needs Approval PIs planning to conduct research using recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules and/or hazardous biological materials that pose a potential risk to the health of humans, animals, or plants, either directly through infection or indirectly through damage to the environment, must submit an IBC Application entitled “Biological Use Authorization” (BUA) to the […]
Chapter 1: Biological Safety Program: Purpose, Scope, and Responsibilities
Purpose The purpose of this Biosafety Manual is to define policies and procedures pertaining to use of biological materials in research at Boston University (BU) and Boston Medical Center (BMC). The policies and procedures within this document are designed to safeguard personnel and the environment from biologically hazardous materials without unduly limiting academic research. This […]
Obtaining USDA and CDC Permits for Importing and Transferring Animal Pathogens and Related Biological Materials
Version 6/19/2024 Certain animal pathogens and related biological materials used for research purposes may require a USDA or CDC permit for import to the United States (US) or transfer to Boston University (BU). These materials may be subject to specific packaging and shipping requirements, or may require certification along with a description of the contents […]
Incident Reporting Requirements for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules
Incident Reporting Requirements for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules Original Date Approved: 5/17/2016 Next Review Date: May 2019 Purpose Boston University (BU) is committed to observing federal, state, and local regulations and the National Institute of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules. The purpose of this […]