Most UO research qualifies as fundamental research and is generally exempt from export controls. However, some biological materials may still be regulated.
Researchers with biological materials in their labs should notify the Export Control Officer
International Shipment of Biological Materials
Departments preparing international shipments of biological materials must submit an International Shipment Form before sending through UO Mail Services or external carriers, such as US Postal Service, UPS, FedEx, or DHL.
After submission, the form provides next steps. If using UO Mail Services, you’ll receive a pre‑populated document to print and attach to your package.
Forms are typically reviewed within one business day. Additional compliance steps may be required depending on the shipment.
Unauthorized shipment of export-controlled items may lead to significant federal civil or criminal penalties, including but not limited to temporary prohibitions on international transactions. Departments are responsible for ensuring they have proper approvals.
Submit International Shipment Form
Shipment of Hazardous or Regulated Materials
Commercial shipments of hazardous materials are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Anyone shipping or transporting regulated materials for university business must contact Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) for assistance.
International Employees and Visitors in Labs with Biological Materials
Labs with biological materials that host international scholars, postdocs, graduate students, or visitors will be asked for information during the UO‑sponsored visa process to determine whether an export license is required.
For short‑term visitors not sponsored by UO, researchers must request a compliance check.
Transferring Biological Materials
Transfers of biological or chemical materials may require a material transfer agreement (MTA). An MTA is a contract between parties that want to transfer tangible research materials.
Industry, Innovation, and Translation (IIT) manages MTAs and works with the Office of Export Controls to ensure export control compliance. Researchers requesting an MTA for biological materials through IIT do not need to take additional export control steps.
To learn more about MTAs and to request one, please visit IIT’s MTA webpage.
List of Export-Controlled Biological Materials
Important Note: Export-controlled biological materials are subject to change, and the list below may not be exhaustive. This information is provided as a snapshot as of December 11, 2024.
Bacteria
- Bacillus anthracis
- Brucella abortus
- Brucella melitensis
- Brucella suis
- Burkholderia mallei (Pseudomonas mallei)
- Burkholderia pseudomallei (Pseudomonas pseudomallei)
- Chlamydia psittaci (Chlamydophila psittaci)
- Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. sepedonicus (Clavibacter sepedonicus, Clavibacter michiganense subsp. sepedonicus, Corynebacterium michiganensis subsp. sepedonicum, Corynebacterium sepedonicum)
- Clostriduim argentinense (formerly known as Clostridium botulinum Type G), botulinum neurotoxin producing strains
- Clostridium baratii, botulinum neurotoxin producing strains
- Clostridium botulinum
- Clostridium butyricum, botulinum neurotoxin producing strains
- Clostridium perfringens, epsilon toxin producing types
- Coxiella burnetii
- Francisella tularensis
- Mycoplasma capricolum subspecies capripneumoniae (“strain F38”)
- Mycoplasma mycoides subspecies mycoides SC (small colony) (a.k.a. contagious bovine pleuropneumonia)
- Ralstonia solanacearum, race 3, biovar 2
- Raythayibactor toxicus
- Rickettsia prowazekii
- Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Typhi (Salmonella typhi)
- Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) of serogroups O26, O45, O103, O104, O111, O121, O145, O157, and other shiga toxin producing serogroups
- Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC) includes, inter alia, enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC), verotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC) or verocytotoxin producing E. coli (VTEC)
- Shigella dysenteriae
- Vibrio cholerae
- Yersinia pestis
- Xanthomonas albilineans
- Xanthomonas citri pv. citri (Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. citri, Xanthomonas campestris pv. citri)
- Xanthomonas oryzae
Fungii
- Coccidioides immitis
- Coccidioides posadasii.
- Bipolaris oryzae (Cochliobolus miyabeanus, Helminthosporium oryzae)
- Colletotrichum kahawae (Colletotrichum coffeanum var. virulans)
- Pseudocercospora ulei (Microcyclus ulei, Dothidella ulei)
- Puccinnia graminis ssp. graminis var. graminis/Puccinia graminis ssp. graminis var. stakmanii (Puccinia graminis [syn. Puccinia graminis f. sp. tritici])
- Puccinia striiformis (syn. Puccinia glumarum)
- Magnaporthe oryzae (Pyricularia oryzae)
- Peronosclerospora philippinensis (Peronosclerospora sacchari)
- Sclerophthora rayssiae var. zeae
- Synchytrium endobioticum
- Tilletia indica
- Thecaphora solani
- Phoma glycinicola (formerly Pyrenochaeta glycines)
Genetic Elements
- Any genetically modified organism that contains, or any genetic element that codes for, any of the following:
- Any gene, genes, translated product or translated products specific to any virus listed on this page.
- Any gene or genes specific to any bacterium listed on this page, or any fungus listed on this page, and which;
- In itself or through its transcribed or translated products represents a significant hazard to human, animal or plant health; or
- Could endow or enhance pathogenicity; or
- Any toxins, or their subunits, listed on this page.
- Genetic elements that contain nucleic acid sequences associated with the pathogenicity of any microorganisms listed on this page.
- Genetic elements that contain nucleic acid sequences coding for any of the toxins listed on this page, or “sub-units of toxins” thereof.
- includes, but not limited to, chromosomes, genomes, plasmids, transposons, vectors, and inactivated organisms containing recoverable nucleic acid fragments, whether genetically modified or unmodified, or chemically synthesized in whole or in part. Nucleic acids from an inactivated organism, virus, or sample are considered to be “recoverable” if the inactivation and preparation of the material is intended or known to facilitate isolation, purification, amplification, detection, or identification of nucleic acids.
Genetically Modified Organisms
- Genetically modified organisms that contain nucleic acid sequences associated with the pathogenicity of any microorganisms listed on this page.
- Genetically modified organisms that contain nucleic acid sequences coding for any of the toxins listed on this page, or “sub-units of toxins” thereof.
- Includes organisms in which the nucleic acid sequences have been created or altered by deliberate molecular manipulation.
Toxins
- Abrin
- Aflatoxins
- Andean potato latent virus (Potato Andean latent tymovirus)
- Botulinum toxins
- Brevetoxins
- Clostridium perfringens alpha, beta 1, beta 2, epsilon and iota toxins
- Conotoxins
- Diacetoxyscirpenol
- Gonyautoxins
- HT-2 toxin
- Microcystins (Cyanginosins)
- Modeccin
- Nodularins
- Palytoxin
- Potato spindle tuber viroid
- Ricin
- Saxitoxin
- Shiga toxins (shiga-like toxins, verotoxins, and verocytotoxins)
- Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins, hemolysin alpha toxin, and toxic shock syndrome toxin (formerly known as Staphylococcus enterotoxin F)
- T-2 toxin
- Tetrodotoxin
- Viscumin (Viscum album lectin 1)
- Volkensin
Viruses
- African horse sickness virus
- African swine fever virus
- Andean potato latent virus (Potato Andean latent tymovirus)
- Andes virus
- Avian influenza (AI) viruses identified as having high pathogenicity (HP), as follows:
- AI viruses that have an intravenous pathogenicity index (IVPI) in 6-week-old chickens greater than 1.2; or
- AI viruses that cause at least 75% mortality in 4- to 8-week-old chickens infected intravenously.
- Avian influenza (AI) viruses of the H5 or H7 subtype that do not have either of the characteristics described in 1C351.a.4 (specifically, 1C351.a.4.a or .a.4.b) should be sequenced to determine whether multiple basic amino acids are present at the cleavage site of the haemagglutinin molecule (HA0). If the amino acid motif is similar to that observed for other HPAI isolates, then the isolate being tested should be considered as HPAI and the virus is controlled under 1C351.a.4.
- Bluetongue virus
- Chapare virus
- Chikungunya virus
- Choclo virus
- Classical swine fever virus (Hog cholera virus)
- Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus
- Dobrava-Belgrade virus
- Eastern equine encephalitis virus
- Ebolavirus (includes all members of the Ebolavirus genus)
- Foot-and-mouth disease virus
- Goatpox virus
- Guanarito virus
- Hantaan virus
- Hendra virus (Equine morbillivirus)
- Japanese encephalitis virus
- Junin virus
- Kyasanur Forest disease virus
- Laguna Negra virus
- Lassa virus
- Louping ill virus
- Lujo virus
- Lumpy skin disease virus
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus
- Machupo virus
- Marburgvirus (includes all members of the Marburgvirus genus)
- Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-related coronavirus)
- Monkeypox virus
- Murray Valley encephalitis virus
- Newcastle disease virus
- Nipah virus
- Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus
- Oropouche virus
- Peste-des-petits ruminants virus
- Porcine Teschovirus
- Potato spindle tuber viroid
- Powassan virus
- Rabies virus and all other members of the Lyssavirus genus
- Reconstructed 1918 influenza virus
- 1918 pandemic influenza virus – reconstructed replication competent forms containing any portion of the coding regions of all eight gene segments.
- Rift Valley fever virus
- Rinderpest virus
- Rocio virus
- Sabia virus
- Seoul virus
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-related coronavirus)
- Sheeppox virus
- Sin Nombre virus
- St. Louis encephalitis virus
- Suid herpesvirus 1 (Pseudorabies virus; Aujeszky's disease)
- Swine vesicular disease virus
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (Far Eastern subtype, formerly known as Russian Spring-Summer encephalitis virus—see 1C351.b.3 for Siberian subtype)
- Tick-borne encephalitis virus (Siberian subtype, formerly West Siberian virus—see 1C351.a.53 for Far Eastern subtype)
- Variola virus
- Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus
- Vesicular stomatitis virus
- Western equine encephalitis virus
- Yellow fever virus