Training & Resources

Required Training

Culture of Safety

The BSL3 Core is responsible for leading in an environment that embraces Stanford’s institutional culture of safety and security.  

This culture of safety maintains the focus on providing a laboratory that is functioning properly, with adequately trained personnel to reduce risks and to allow students/researchers be as successful as possible.

BSL3 site-specific training and proficiency testing

The Director conducts BSL3-specific training.

Training is conducted in a span of 3 separate days/3 hrs each with no live pathogens.

After the user has displayed adequate competency in BSL3 procedures and requirements, the user will be tested and evaluated for knowledge of procedures and techniques.  Supervision periods are also required before the user can work in the BSL3 unsupervised.

Safety during the Work: The researcher is not to work alone in the BSL3 after-hours (other than 8 am-5 pm), on weekends and holidays.

STARS Training/EHS required courses

  • EHS-2470-WEB-COVID-19 Hygiene Best Practices
  • EHS-PROG-1090 and 1092- Aerosol Transmissible Diseases Training
  • EHS-1600 and 1601 - Bloodborne Pathogens
  • EHS-2700 – DOT: Shipping Biological Goods or Dry Ice (if you will be shipping any item)
  • EHS-4875 – Life Sciences Research Laboratory Safety
  • EHS-1900 - Chemical Safety for Laboratories as this center is in the chemistry building.
  • Respiratory protection program for proper use of respiratory (PAPR/CAPR) (hands-on and video based training)

Record Keeping

  • Copies of the training document is stored in online BSL3 folder.
  • APB approval records
  • Records of all inactivated items going out of BSL3
  • Records of all infectious agents, location and volume

Resources

Stanford EHS Resources:

Biosafety Resources:

Other Resources

Services

Consultation and Training:

  • Safe handling and management of tuberculosis samples and other samples based on APB approval
  • Safe handling and management of SARS-CoV-2 viral samples
  • Training for use and access of BSL-3 facilities
  • APB approval and writing
  • Design of microbiology, immunology, and cell culture experiments to be conducted in BSL-3
  • BSL-3 live cell sorting using a Sony SH800 sorter
  • Tissue culture and microbiology services for co-infection studies
  • Drug Screens for compounds
  • Plaque assay training
  • Ultracentrifuge training

Equipment:

  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) maintenance and storage
  • Tissue culture biosafety cabinets
  • Series A2 class II, type A2 and B2 biological safety cabinet
  • Centrifuges
  • TC incubators
  • Microbiological incubators
  • Freezers and refrigerators (LN2, -80°, -20°,4°)
  • Sony 4 laser/6 color FACS sorter in a custom BSC Cell Sorter equipped with 4 lasers - SH800
  • Promega GloMax discover plate readers GM3000
  • Fast prep bead beater
  • Ultracentrifuge

Space:

  • 3500 sqft BSL-2/3 facility
  • BSL-2 bench space and access to BSL2 BSCs

Materials:

  • Laboratory strains of M. tuberculosis for use within the BSL-3
  • USA-WA1/2020 strain of SARS-CoV-2 for use within the BSL-3
  • BSL-3-approved plasticware, disposables, pipettes, and media for microbiological and tissue culture studies

Research Support through Staff:

  • Microbiology growth studies on M. tuberculosis
  • Tissue culture studies
  • M. tuberculosis in culture
  • Cell-based assays of SARS-CoV-2
  • Culture of SARS-CoV-2 from clinical specimens
  • Live cell BSL-3 sorting on Sony SH800 sorter
  • Other agents/pathogens based on APB approval

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