Safety/Risk Groups
What are Risk Groups and Safety Levels?
Microorganisms are classified into four Risk Groups, and biological laboratories are classified into four corresponding Safety Levels. Risk Group 1 contains non-pathogenic organisms like yeast and E. coli K-12. The majority of iGEM teams use only Risk Group 1 organisms. Some teams use Risk Group 2 organisms.
| Risk Group 1 | Risk Group 2 | Risk Group 3 | Risk Group 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Examples | E. coli K-12, S. cerevisiae (yeast), Lactobacillus, B. subtilis | Streptococcus, Herpes virus, most mammalian cell lines | Yersinia pestis (black plague), HIV, SARS virus | Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Lassa virus |
| Description | Risk Group 1 organisms do not cause disease in healthy adult humans. | Risk Group 2 organisms can cause disease in humans, but the disease is treatable or preventable. | Risk Group 3 organisms cause serious disease in humans. Treatments and vaccines for these diseases may exist. | Risk Group 4 organisms cause deadly disease in humans, and they can easily travel from one person to another. No treatments or vaccines exist for these diseases. |
| Lab Safety Level | Safety Level 1 | Safety Level 2 | Safety Level 3 | Safety Level 4 |
| Typical Lab Photo |  |
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| Typical Work Area | Open bench | Biosafety cabinet / laminar flow hood | Class 3 biosafety cabinet | Full isolation suits |
| Permitted in iGEM | Not permitted in iGEM | |||
