Biorisk Management

Identify and control biological hazards to protect health and the environment. This approach combines biosafety—preventing accidental exposure—and biosecurity—preventing misuse of biological materials.

Biorisk Management Documents on SharePoint

All researchers must review the Biosafety and Biosecurity Program Manual and all supplemental materials to stay informed and compliant with safety protocols.

Biorisk Management Training

EHS provides flexible training—online, in-person, or hands-on—and can customize courses to fit your team’s needs.

Beata Clapp

Your EHS contact for Biorisk Management

[email protected]

814-865-6391

Program Applicability

Applies to research and instructional activities at Penn State that involve biological material (biohazardous or non-biohazardous).

Biological Materials refers to all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms (and their components/tissues), viruses, subviral agents (e.g. prions, viroids, and satellite viruses), recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules, and biologically-derived toxins used in research and instructional laboratories.

Biohazardous Material refers to all infectious agents, vectors known to carry and transmit infectious agents, infected or potentially-infected research animals, infectious material, recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules subject to NIH Guidelines, and biologically-derived toxins that present either a risk or a potential risk to the health of humans, animals, or plants either directly through infection or indirectly through damage to the environment.