Transgenic Plant Material: Handling and Disposal*
Transgenic plant material (BL-1 or BL-2) must be grown in an isolated room that is kept locked at all times. All plant material must be rendered biologically inactive by the use of live steam or by autoclaving. The Turner Hall and Plant Science Greenhouses have autoclaves managed by greenhouse staff. The Plant Biology department has BL-1 space in the Plant Science Lab Greenhouse.
Please contact Plant Biology Greenhouse staff for instructions on how to properly dispose of transgenic or regulated plant and soil materials and to schedule autoclave waste pickup.
THE GREENHOUSE IS NOT A FULL-SERVICE AUTOCLAVE FACILITY. Regulated material brought over from other buildings will NOT be accepted and a notice will be sent out for prompt removal from the facility.
Projects need to be registered with the Biological Safety Committee on campus under the guidance of the Department of Environmental Health and Safety (DEHS). All BL-2 projects need to have a Registration Assessment from this committee. The research group is responsible to explain protocols and to train anyone handling any hazardous materials on campus. A copy of the Registration Assessment should be provided to the Plant Biology Greenhouse Assistant Director on all BL-2 projects. A one paragraph summary for all BL-1 projects should be provided to keep on file or registration number can be listed in the Project Request Form. The researcher needs to the Plant Biology Greenhouse staff of any special needs or precautions to be taken regarding their project so staff can take appropriate actions when providing services.
Additional References
“A Practical Guide to Containment: Greenhouse Research with Transgenic Plants and Microbes” by Patricia L. Traynor, Dann Adair and Ruth Irwin, Information Systems for Biotechnology, Virginia Tech, 2001. http://www.isb.vt.edu
Regulated Materials *
Research groups are encouraged to proactively communicate regulatory needs/permit requirements for regulated organisms or materials with Plant Biology Greenhouse staff to ensure proper protocols are in place to support research activities in the greenhouse. The Plant Biology Greenhouse Assistant Director has the right to decline service if no established protocols are provided for the regulated material, registration is unverified, or operations cannot reasonably support permit requirements/regulatory needs.
*Individual faculty and staff members are ultimately responsible for the organization of their students’ use of the greenhouse facilities. It is the responsibility of the research group to ensure the integrity of research protocols and that permit requirements or research needs are communicated to greenhouse staff. The research group is also responsible for actively following permit requirements for transgenic and regulated materials, ensuring facility protocols described in the above policy ‘Transgenic Plant Material: Handling and Disposal’ align with project requirements, and maintaining continuous communication of regulatory needs with greenhouse staff while working in the greenhouses.