[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR331.1]

[Page 393]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
 CHAPTER III--ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF 
                               AGRICULTURE
 
PART 331--POSSESSION OF BIOLOGICAL AGENTS AND TOXINS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 331.1  Definitions.

    Biological agent. Any microorganism (including, but not limited to, 
bacteria, viruses, fungi, rickettsiae, or protozoa), or infectious 
substance, or any naturally occurring, bioengineered, or synthesized 
component of any such microorganism or infectious substance, capable of 
causing:
    (1) Death, disease, or other biological malfunction in a human, an 
animal, a plant, or another living organism;
    (2) Deterioration of food, water, equipment, supplies, or material 
of any kind; or
    (3) Deleterious alteration of the environment.
    Facility. Any individual or government agency, university, 
corporation, company, partnership, society, association, firm, or other 
legal entity located at a single geographic site that may transfer or 
receive through any means a biological agent or toxin subject to this 
part.
    Person. Any individual, firm, corporation, company, society, or 
association; any Federal, State, or local governmental entity; or any 
organized group of any of the foregoing.
    Responsible facility official. An official authorized to transfer 
and receive biological agents or toxins covered by this part on behalf 
of a facility. This person should be either a safety officer, a senior 
management official of the facility, or both. The responsible facility 
official should not be an individual who actually transfers or receives 
a biological agent or toxin at the facility.
    Toxin. The toxic material or product of plants, animals, 
microorganisms (including, but not limited to, bacteria, viruses, fungi, 
rickettsiae, or protozoa), or infectious substances, or a recombinant or 
synthesized molecule, whatever their origin and method of production, 
and includes:
    (1) Any poisonous substance or biological product that may be 
engineered as a result of biotechnology produced by a living organism; 
or
    (2) Any poisonous isomer or biological product, homolog, or 
derivative of such a substance.

[67 FR 52388, Aug. 12, 2002, as amended at 67 FR 60519, Sept. 26, 2002]

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