Transgenic Plant Handling Protocols

1. Soybeans

When transgenic soybeans are produced in the greenhouse and producing seeds all seeds on benches and the floor that could have fallen out of the transgenic plants need to be cleaned up weekly and placed in the biohazard bag for autoclaving. Seeds specifically collected need to be kept in a designated location (i.e. labeled place on shelves) in the seed room. The seed room is to be kept locked. If a transgenic plant is growing directly adjacent to a non-transgenic plant soybean seed from the non-transgenic adjacent plant needs to be handled as if it might be transgenic since some cross-pollination is possible. Transgenic seed or possibly transgenic seed must not be put in the regular trash or allowed to go down the drain.

2. Tobacco

With tobacco pollen escape is a real possibility and regrowth from nearly any plant part is also possible. When transgenic tobacco plants are grown to flowering the flower heads must be covered with mesh bags prior to flower opening to prevent pollen and seed escape. Transgenic seed collected must be kept in a locked location as for soybeans. Plant material should be placed in autoclave bags and autoclaved prior to disposal.

3. Arabidopsis

Arabidopsis plants should be grown over rough paper or cloth to collect seed that might escape and sticky mats should be placed where seed might move out of the growth location on shoes. Plant material that might have seeds must be autoclaved prior to disposal.