"Potentially hazardous biological agent" covers more than students expect: microorganisms, recombinant DNA, human and animal tissue, blood, and body fluids — including saliva and cheek cells.
BSL-1 covers agents not known to cause disease in healthy adults. Most approved school microbiology sits here: standard bench practice, hand-washing, disinfection, no special containment.
BSL-2 covers agents associated with human disease. It requires a biological safety cabinet, trained personnel, and an institutional setting — a school classroom generally does not qualify, and work at this level usually must happen in a registered facility under supervision.
Two rules that catch people out:
- Environmental samples are unknowns. Swabbing a doorknob and culturing it means growing organisms nobody has identified. Many fairs restrict or prohibit this, and where allowed the plates must be sealed and never reopened.
- Your own cheek cells are still human tissue and normally require the relevant forms.
Every culture is autoclaved or disinfected before disposal. Plan disposal before you plan the experiment, and get your Qualified Scientist and SRC involved early — biological projects are the ones most often delayed by late approval.