Location: Vegetable Crops Research
Project Number: 5090-21000-073-070-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jul 1, 2022
End Date: Jun 30, 2027
Objective:
To utilize University of Wisconsin - Madison Institutional Biological Safety Committee to strive toward ensuring compliance of USDA-ARS scientists with the National Institute of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) for the safe conduct of research employing recombinant technology, including protecting crops and livestock from pests and disease or improving the quality and safety of agricultural products, and research with biohazardous materials and toxins.
Approach:
USDA-ARS and University of Wisconsin - Madison conduct research that employs recombinant DNA technology, synthetic nucleic acids, and other potential biohazards (e.g., infectious agents, oncogenes, zoonotic pathogens, and biological toxins). To avoid conflict, ambiguity, and duplication of efforts regarding biosafety protocols, reviews, and record-keeping, USDA-ARS and the University of Wisconsin - Madison desire to operate under a single set of rules/guidelines that all employees (ARS and University of Wisconsin - Madison) will follow at the USDA, ARS Madison location that includes the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center with a working site at Marshfield, WI, the Cereal Crops Research Unit, and the Vegetable Crops Research Unit.
