Do I need to bring the laboratory back to Kerbin?

The related question talks about bringing experiments back from space. This can be done without penalties if a scientist "removes" the data from given device and stores it in a command module, then returns the module back home (leaving the "experiments" in space).

Can I do the same thing with a laboratory? I understand the laboratory can repeat given experiment within a biome multiple times (for rapidly diminishing returns) and the command module can only store one result per biome, so I won't get the repeated experiments, but will there be any other penalties if I leave the lab on Minmus and return the data through command modules?