Since its publication by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1984, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) has become the cornerstone of the practice of biosafety in the United States and in many countries around the world. The BMBL has been revised periodically over the past three decades to refine the guidance it provides based on new knowledge and experiences—allowing it to remain a relevant, valuable, and authoritative reference for the microbiological and biomedical community.

Seven years after the release of the BMBL 5th Edition, NIH and CDC are considering a revision based on the comments of a broader set of stakeholders. At the request of NIH, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine conducted a virtual town hall meeting from 4 April to 20 May 2016 to allow BMBL users to share their thoughts on the BMBL in general and its individual sections and appendices. Specifically, users were asked to indicate what information they think should be added, revised, or deleted. Major themes from the virtual town hall meeting were further discussed in a workshop held on 12 May 2016 in Washington, DC. This document encapsulates the discussion of the major comments on the BMBL that were posted on the virtual town hall prior to 12 May 2016 and the various BMBL comments and issues related to biosafety that were raised during the workshop by participants who attended the meeting in Washington DC and those who listened to the live webcast.

Contents

• The National Academies of SCIENCES • ENGINEERING • MEDICINE
• The National Academies of SCIENCES · ENGINEERING · MEDICINE
• COMMITTEE ON SOLICITING STAKEHOLDER INPUT FOR A REVISION OF “BIOSAFETY IN MICROBIOLOGICAL AND BIOMEDICAL LABORATORIES”: A WORKSHOP AND VIRTUAL TOWN HALL
• BOARD ON AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
• ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF REVIEWERS
• INTRODUCTION
• WORKSHOP DISCUSSION
  • Soliciting Stakeholder Input — Opening Remarks by NIH and CDC
  • The BMBL as a Guidance Document
  • Q&A Session with NIH and CDC
  • General Comments on the BMBL
  • Comments on BMBL Section I – Introduction
  • Comments on BMBL Section II – Biological Risk Assessment
  • Comments on BMBL Section III – Principles of Biosafety
  • Comments on BMBL Section IV – BSL Criteria
  • Comments on BMBL Section V – Vertebrate Animal BSL Criteria
  • Comments on BMBL Section VI – Principles of Laboratory Biosecurity
  • Comments on BMBL Section VII – Occupational Health and Immunoprophylaxis
  • Comments on BMBL Section VIII – Agent Summary Statements
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix A – Primary Containment for Biohazards
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix B – Decontamination and Disinfection
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix C – Transportation of Infectious Substances
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix D – Agriculture Pathogen Biosafety
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix E – Arthropod Containment Guidelines
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix F – Select Agents and Toxins
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix G – Integrated Pest Management
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix H – Working with Human, NHP and Other Mammalian Cells and Tissues
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix I – Toxins of Biological Origin
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix J – NIH Oversight of Research Involving Recombinant Biosafety Issues
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix K – Resources
  • Comments on BMBL Appendix L – Acronyms
  • Revising the BMBL: Final Thoughts
  • Should the BMBL remain performance based or should it be prescriptive?
  • Closing Remarks
• APPENDIXES
  • Appendix A. Biographical Sketches of Steering Committee
  • Appendix B. Workshop Agenda

Rapporteur: Camilla Y. Ables.

Suggested citation:

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2016. Soliciting Stakeholder Input for a Revision of Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL): Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/23585.