Biological Containment

The term “containment” is used to describe safe methods for managing infectious agents and organisms containing recombinant DNA molecules in the laboratory environment. The purpose of containment is to reduce or eliminate exposure of laboratory workers, other persons, and the outside environment to potentially hazardous materials. The elements of containment include laboratory practices, containment equipment, and special laboratory design. A risk assessment specific to the work to be conducted with the agent will determine the appropriate containment level.

Some quick resources to check to see if your research can be supported can be found here:

• Types of Biosafety Containment Fact Sheet
• Risk Group and Biosafety Containment Fact Sheet
• Risk Group and Containment Levels Guide

Additional guidance on containment may also be found in:

• BMBL 6th Edition
• NIH Guidelines for Research involving Recombinant and Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules
• Arthropod Containment Guidelines, Version 3.2
• Practical Guide to Containment- Plant Biosafety in Research Greenhouses