The goal of biosafety with regard to plant-related research is CONTAINMENT of transgenic and/or pathogenic materials. Most often, transgenic plants and plant pathogens do not pose biohazardous risk(s) to the personnel working with these materials, but there are exceptions! Containment is crucial in plant research in laboratories, greenhouses, and growth chambers. Field trials with transgenic plants require compliance with USDA regulations. Please consult USDA guidelines for containment requirements. This page provides information for transgenic and plant pathogen containment. Individual research projects will require different containment procedures based upon the experiments performed.
All researchers working with transgenic plants or plant pathogens must register with the UK IBC, determine the appropriate biosafety level for their work, and have standard operating procedures in place for:
Source: Practical Guide to Containment: Plant Biosafety in Research Greenhouses
Transgenic seed should be stored in a locked cabinet located in or near the greenhouse or growth chamber. When stored or handled outside of a confined space, such as on a lab bench or potting bench, seed should be in a spill-proof container. White paper can be utilized on lab benches in conjunction with a tray to allow for easy identification and containment of stray seeds.
All transgenic seeds and plants should be clearly identified and labeled to distinguish them from other stored seeds, plants, or materials. If transgenic and non-transgenic plants must be grown in the same location, such as an open lab or mixed use greenhouse, all work must be completed at the biosafety level approved for the transgenic plant work.
Seed is easily tracked out of facilities on shoes. This inadvertent dissemination can be easily prevented through the use of shoe covers and/or sticky mats. Seed is also easily carried out of facilities on clothing and this can be prevented with the use of disposable lab gowns that are dedicated for use in the plant growth chamber or greenhouse. Good housekeeping practices can help prevent release of transgenic seed by keeping loose seed off the floor. Daily use of a disposable cloth covered sweeper can be an easy way to remove loose seed from floors.
Growing plants need to be contained to prevent the dissemination of genetic material. This can be achieved by covering or removing flower and seed heads to prevent seed dispersal, harvesting plant material prior to sexual maturity, or utilizing male sterile lines. Various commercial containment systems are available or inexpensive systems can be constructed with disposable plastic sheeting. These systems contain seeds, soil, plant parts resulting in less housekeeping and less contamination between shelves. These systems also provide better humidity control resulting in less watering of plants.
Experimental materials must be rendered biological inactive (devitalized) prior to leaving the laboratory or greenhouse and final disposal. Devitalization methods may include: