Aerosol Transmissible Disease (ATD)
A disease or pathogen for which droplet or airborne precautions are required.

Aerosol Transmissible Disease Plan (ATD plan)
The California OSHA ATD standard requires that laboratories adopt standard biosafety practices to protect lab workers handling materials containing pathogens that may spread through aerosols and cause serious disease. The employer must develop, implement, and annually review a written ATD Biosafety Plan (Plan). https://ehs.stanford.edu/forms-tools/local-aerosol-transmissible-diseases-biosafety-plan-laboratories.

Administrative Panel on Biosafety (APB)
Also know at other institutions as the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). This committee reviews all Stanford activities related the use of recombinant DNA, risk group 2 or higher infectious agents, and human subjects research involving gene transfer.

Biosafety
The application of knowledge, techniques and equipment to prevent personal, laboratory and environmental exposure to potentially infectious agents or biohazards. Biosafety defines the containment conditions under which infectious agents can be safely manipulated.

Biosafety Cabinet (BSC)
An enclosed, ventilated laboratory workspace for safely working with materials contaminated with (or potentially contaminated with) pathogens requiring a defined biosafety level. The biosafety cabinets are designed to provide three types of protection:

  • Personal protection for the staff from material inside the cabinet
  • Protection for the material inside of the cabinet from outside contamination
  • Protection for the environment from the material inside of the cabinet

There are three types of BSCs: Class I, II, and III. The use of Class I BSCs is not advised at Stanford. Contact Biosafety if you feel you need to purchase one. Please refer to the table online https://ehs.stanford.edu/topic/biosafety-biosecurity/equipment or in the biosafety manual.

Biosafety Level (BSL)
A set of biocontainment precautions required to isolate dangerous biological agents in an enclosed laboratory facility. The levels of containment range from BSL – 1 to BSL – 4.

Biohazardous Agents
A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease in healthy individuals, animals or plants.

Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP)
Pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and other potentially infectious material (OPIM) and can cause disease.

Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan (Local ECP)
The Local Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan (Local ECP) helps the Principal Investigator (PI)/ supervisor complete requirements for the Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Standard. The PI/supervisor reviews the Local ECP with input from employees covered by the BBP Standard, with the goal to minimize personnel exposure to BBPs in blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIMs). ECP Form located at https://ehs.stanford.edu/forms-tools/local-bloodborne-pathogen-exposure-control-plan.

Engineering Controls
Safety equipment (primary barriers) includes biological safety cabinets, enclosed containers and other designed controls designed to remove or minimize exposures to hazardous biological agents.

Gene Transfer
Delivery of exogenous genetic material (DNA or RNA) to somatic cells for the purpose of modifying those cells.

NIH Guidelines
The NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) detail safety practices and containment procedures for basic and clinical research involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, including the creation and use of organisms and viruses containing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.

Pathogen
A bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Refers to protective clothing (lab coats, gowns, gloves, etc.) eye protection (safety glasses, goggles, face shields, etc.) or equipment (Biosafety Cabinets) designed to protect the wearer’s body from injury or infection.

Recombinant DNA (rDNA)
Refers to DNA which has been altered by joining genetic material from two different sources. It usually involves putting a gene from one organism into the genome of a different organism, generally of a different species.

Synthetic nucleic acid (sNA)
Nucleic acid molecules that are chemically or by other means synthesized or amplified, including those that are chemically or otherwise modified but can base pair with naturally occurring nucleic acid molecules (i.e. synthetic nucleic acids).

Training

  • Tier I: General Safety and Emergency Preparedness EHS-4200-WEB
  • Tier II: Biosafety EHS-1500-WEB
    Bloodborne Pathogens EHS-1600-WEB
  • Tier III: Agent Specific Training

Transgene
A gene that is taken from the genome of one organism and introduced into the genome of another organism by artificial techniques.

Transgenic
An organism that contains genetic material into which DNA from an unrelated organism has been artificially introduced.

Universal precautions
An approach to infection control to treat all human blood and certain human body fluids as if they were known to be infectious for HIV, HBV and other bloodborne pathogens. Universal Precautions includes frequent handwashing, no mouth pipetting, no food or drink in the lab and proper disposal of biohazardous/medical waste, as well as the use of engineering controls and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Engineering controls include items such as biosafety cabinets, ventilation systems, closed top centrifuge rotors, etc.; these are the primary methods to control exposure. PPE such as gloves, lab coats, eye protection, face shields or others must be selected and used as appropriate

Viral Vector
Viruses that are used to deliver genetic material into cells.