LABORATORY REGISTRATION FOR THE USE OF ESTABLISHED CELL LINES (REV1)
1
Most human and animal cell lines require specialised growth medium and cannot survive
outside particular tissue culture equipment. No human cell lines that have been derived from
any member of the research team should be used, so that even if accidentally injected into a
research worker they will be killed by the immune system. Therefore in most circumstance
and most experiments, the use of established tissue culture cells and any genetically
modified variants most likely poses essentially zero risk to research workers and the
environment. Nevertheless, work involving tissue culture does require a COSHH risk
assessment and, on the precautionary principle, human cells are usually maintained under
Class 2 conditions to guard against the possibility that they might harbour an unrecognised
infectious agent. However, there maybe situations in which tissue culture does pose a
recognisible risk to research workers or the environment, for example, if a cell line is known
to produce an infectious agent that is a human or animal pathogen. Laboratories working
with cell lines and their genetically modified variants should complete the following form and
provide a copy to their Departmental BSO.
If you answer ‘YES’ to any of the questions below, then an application must be made to the
University Biological Safety Committee. If you answer ‘NO’ to all questions, this record
should be kept with the Laboratory’s COSHH Records and updated annually.
Name of Principal Investigator:
Status (e.g. Staff/PG)
Telephone:
Address of research lab:
Fax:
Email:
Provide a general description of the nature of your research and the cell lines used. If
any of the cell lines are genetically modified, provide a summary of the DNA
introduced, including details of promoters, gene inserts, location of DNA insertion
(random or state locus):
2
LABORATORY REGISTRATION FOR THE USE OF ESTABLISHED CELL LINES (REV1)
Are any of the wild type cell lines known to produce an infectious agent?
YES/NO
Have any cell lines been genetically modified to produce:

An infectious agent (e.g. a specific virus or a Transmissible
Spongiform Encephalopathic agent (TSEs)?

Toxins (e.g. Ricin, Diphtheria, Tetanus, Cholera or Shiga toxins)?
Do you have any other reason to believe that the use of any of these cell lines
will pose a significant risk to laboratory personnel or the environment?
Completed by: ……………………………………
Date: ……………………………………….
YES/NO
YES/NO
YES/NO