ABSTRACT
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have published guidelines that categorize biosafety into four levels. The CDC publication, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), should be carefully read by anyone working with biohazardous materials (Chosewood and Wilson 2009). According to the CDC, biosafety level 1 (BSL-1) is limited to working with “wellcharacterized agents not known to consistently cause disease in immunocompetent adult humans, and [that] present minimal potential hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment” (Chosewood and Wilson 2009). Biosafety level 2 (BSL2) involves “agents that pose moderate hazards to personnel and the environment” (Chosewood and Wilson 2009). Any BSL-1 or above lab must have a sign incorporating the universal biohazard symbol at the entrance (Figure 2.1). The experiments included in this book are classi¦ed as BSL-1; however, you may be working in a lab where BSL-2 work is also performed. Check with your instructor regarding the biosafety level so that you can follow the appropriate guidelines.
