What are Biohazardous Materials?
The UWM IBC is charged with oversight of biological research and teaching activities at UWM that involve:
- Any recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules or materials, including transgenic/recombinant plants and animals
- Any biohazardous materials
Biohazardous materials are defined as any biological material that has the capacity to cause harm to humans, animals, plants, or the environment. They may include, but are not limited to:
- Biohazardous agents, such as bacteria, archaea, viruses, fungi, prions, protozoa, or helminths
- Biological toxins, i.e. toxins originating from bacteria, plants, animals, and/or fungi
- Vertebrate and invertebrate animals that are transgenic, exotic, invasive, disease vectors, and/or used in association with pathogens or recombinant materials
- Plants that are recombinant, exotic, invasive, and/or grown in association with pathogenic or recombinant microbes or animals
- Human or non-human primate cells (including primary and established cell lines), tissues, organs, or bodily fluids (including blood)
- Other animal cells, tissues, organs, or bodily fluids that may be infectious or recombinant
- Any large-scale propagation of biological materials, defined as greater than 10L in a single vessel