Do you work with any of these materials? Review the current list of select agents and toxins.

See the latest information on regulation changes.

If you receive, use, transfer, or store a select agent or toxin, even if it's one of those old archived samples that no one has opened in years or a vaccine strain of a biological agent that is used in a different manner than stated in its FDA or USDA approval, regulations effective April 18, 2005 mandate that you follow strict regulations regarding possession of and access to those agents. Otherwise severe fines and penalties may be imposed on you and/or the university. In addition to criminal penalties, civil money penalties of not more than $250,000 in the case of an individual, and up to $500,000 in the case of any other person who violates the rule (§1003.103).

Here's a little history of how certain biological and chemical agents have come under increased Federal scrutiny and are now regulated by federal law.

In response to the mandates of "The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996", additional shipping and handling requirements were placed on facilities that transferred or received a list of agents deemed agents of mass destruction (aka select agents). As of April 15, 1997, commercial suppliers of "select agents" as well as government agencies, universities, research institutions, individuals and private companies seeking to transfer or obtain regulated "select agents" were required to register with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a registered facility.

On March 18, 2005 the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture published final rules governing the way select agents and toxins are to be managed within the United States. The final rule was effective April 18, 2005, with a phase-in schedule for certain sections that includes possession. Updates occur regularly, usually on an annual basis.

View the Select Agents Regulations.

All registrations must be coordinated through the UAB Department of Environmental Health and Safety, who is responsible for the facility (entity) registration. Anyone planning to do research involving "select agents" must register with the UAB Department of Environmental Health and Safety before obtaining a select agent. No "select agent" may be received at or transferred from UAB without prior registration. For Select Agent Registration contact Dr. Justin Roth or Brian LaGory, Responsible Official (RO).

Investigators expecting to use a "select agent" are advised to contact EH&S at biosafety@uab.edu or telephone (4-2487) for an application packet and obtain a UAB "Permit for Use" to avoid delays in individual receipt, use, or transfer of material. Contact biosafety@uab.edu if you have any questions.