Laboratory Biosafety Levels
Biocontainment Facilities
Laboratories where biological agents or biohazardous materials will be used should be designed to contain these agents or materials.
- There are four defined biosafety levels: BSL-1, BSL-2, BSL-3 and BSL-4. The biosafety level is determined from a combination of lab practices and techniques, safety equipment, and laboratory facility.
- The CDC/NIH publication Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories describes the criteria for different biosafety levels in detail.
- The NIH publication Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules describes containment criteria for work with recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids.
List of Prohibitions
At Georgia Southern University, our laboratories are equipped to handle BSL1-3 agents or materials.
- Experiments using pathogenic organisms or DNA from pathogenic organisms classified as requiring Biosafety Level 4 are prohibited.
- Experiments using any organism or agent that is prohibited by any federal or state agency from importation into Georgia are prohibited.
- Experiments using agents or organisms that require containment facilities or equipment which are not available at Georgia Southern University are prohibited.
For more information on containment, please contact the Occupational Safety Manager.
Last updated: 8/9/2021