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In compliance with federal regulations and guidelines, all research involving possible exposure to infectious agents (i.e., biohazardous materials) and recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules must be registered with, reviewed and approved by �鶹��ý�Ŷ�’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). The IBC must approve any teaching or research project that involves: the use of recombinant DNA, including transgenic animals or plants; the use of human, animal, or plant pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses, prions, parasites); and the use of any human cells, tissues or body fluids.

Procedures

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� faculty members conducting research involving biohazardous materials and/or recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecule should begin by completing the “Cover Page for Biosafety Registration From,” and submit a PDF of the signed document to IBC Chair Kevin Militello (militello@geneseo.edu).

If you provide any “yes” responses on the “Cover Page for Biosafety Registration Form,” you will also need to complete the “Biosafety Registration From,” and submit a PDF of the signed document to IBC Chair Kevin Militello (militello@geneseo.edu).

Annual updates are requested by the IBC and should use the “Biosafety Registration Form (Short update form).”

IBC Forms

Cover Page for Biosafety Registration Form

Biosafety Registration Form

Biosafety Registration Form - short update

IBC Meetings

The next meeting will be Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 1:30 - 2:00 PM via Microsoft Teams.  Please contact Anne Baldwin (baldwina@geneseo.edu) to obtain the meeting link.

IBC Members

IBC Meeting Minutes

Regulations, Guidelines and Other Documents

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines), April 2019.

The purpose of the NIH Guidelines is to specify the practices for constructing and handling:  (i) recombinant nucleic acid molecules, (ii) synthetic nucleic acid molecules, including those that are chemically or otherwise modified but can base pair with naturally occurring nucleic acid molecules, and (iii) cells, organisms, and viruses containing such molecules.

Meechan, P.J. and Potts, J., editors. Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (HHS Publication No. (CDC) 300859). 6th edition. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2020. 574p. Available at:

Provides the code of practice for biosafety—the discipline addressing the safe handling and containment of infectious microorganisms and hazardous biological materials.

National Research Council. 2004. Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. .

(Also referred to as the “Fink Report,” after the committee chair, Gerald Fink.)

Addresses the “dual use” dilemma of biotechnology and outlines a plan that “includes a process for reviewing scientific research activities through all the phases from proposal to publication to ensure that they receive the necessary oversight. This process relies heavily on a mix of voluntary self-governance by the scientific community and expansion of an existing regulatory process that grew out of the scientific community’s earlier response to the risks of gene-splicing research.”

�鶹��ý�Ŷ� Biosafety Spill Response Guide

This guide outlines the basic procedures for dealing with some of the biological spills that may be encountered in a research laboratory. All lab personnel should refer to the relevant spill response procedures before initiating their experiments.

Laboratory Biosafety Level 2 Inspection Report

This document is used by the IBC during BSL-2 lab inspections.