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Biological Materials and the ALS Bio Lab

All biological materials—including plants and soil—and their derivatives (e.g., cells, proteins, tissues) need approval from the ALS Biosafety Specialist and, if applicable, the LBNL Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) before they may be brought or shipped to the ALS. Provide specific details regarding your samples when you are filling out your Experiment Safety Assessment Form (ESAF) in order to facilitate the review and approval process.

Plan ahead for the timely approval of biological samples. Some samples (e.g., Risk Group 1 biological agents) have a shorter review and approval period. Other samples could take several months to review and approve depending on their nature and origin.

For more information, contact the ALS Biosafety Specialist: Dahlia An.

Do not bring or ship your sample(s) to the ALS without prior approval from the ALS Biosafety Specialist.

Biological materials that are prohibited at the ALS:

  • Prions
  • Live vertebrates
  • Risk Group 3 biological materials
  • Risk Group 4 biological materials

Biological materials that may require several months of review and approval time:

  • Controlled Substances
    Marijuana in any form is a Federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) Schedule I controlled substance. Forms of marijuana include, but are not limited to, cannabis plants; extracts from whole plants, flowers, and seeds, such as isolated chemicals (e.g., pure THC, cannabidiol); and synthetically produced versions of the aforementioned chemicals. LBNL needs to have DEA registrations for specific purposes/projects.
  • Human Subjects
    Materials derived from human beings (e.g., teeth, blood) are required to be reviewed and either approved or declared exempt by your institution’s Institutional Review Board (IRB). In addition, a valid approval letter must be uploaded to the “Attachments” section of your ESAF. LBNL does not provide IRB reviews for ALS users.Work involving the use of viable human primary cells and cell lines may be allowed on a case-by-case basis. For example, limited categories and quantities of established, commercially purchased human cell lines (e.g., human cell lines from ATCC) may be allowed. LBNL considers human primary cells and cell lines to be blood borne pathogen materials due to OSHA requirements.

    For more information on research involving human subjects, visit https://humansubjects.nih.gov.

  • Pathogens, Biotoxins, and Select Agents
    Limited categories and quantities of pathogens, biotoxins, and select agents may be allowed at the ALS.
  • Plants and Soil
    Plant and soil samples may be regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). It is your responsibility to determine whether your sample(s) is/are regulated. For more information, visit the USDA’s Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) website and the USDA’s web page for organism and soil permits. Contact the ALS Biosafety Specialist as soon as your proposal to bring or ship plant and/or soil samples to the ALS is approved to discuss next steps.
  • Recombinant Materials
    Recombinant research includes experiments involving constructing and/or handling: a) recombinant nucleic acid molecules; b) synthetic nucleic acid molecules, including those that are chemically or otherwise modified but can base pair with naturally occurring nucleic acid molecules; and c) cells, organisms, and viruses containing such molecules. LBNL’s IBC must review all recombinant research.

ALS Biology Laboratory

The ALS Bio Lab is available to ALS users for small-scale sample manipulations. Examples of equipment in the lab:

  • Autoclave
  • Balances
  • Biosafety cabinets
  • Centrifuges
  • Freezers and refrigerator
  • Incubators
  • Microscopes
  • Water baths

Orientation and training from either the ALS Biosafety Specialist or the ALS Safety Manager are required for access.

Email a detailed work description to the ALS Biosafety Specialist if you would like to work in the ALS Bio Lab.  The work description must be reviewed and approved by the ALS Biosafety Specialist before work may begin.