BSL (Biosafety Level)

Biosafety Levels (BSLs) are standards that categorize laboratories based on the type of biological materials they handle and the precautions needed to ensure safety. They range from BSL-1, handling minimal-risk microbes like benign bacteria, to BSL-4, dealing with highly dangerous pathogens like Ebola. Each level has specific practices, safety equipment, and facility requirements to protect researchers and prevent disease spread. The higher the BSL, the stricter the safety protocols to manage more hazardous agents reliably.