Institutional Biosafety Committee
An Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is required at institutions that receive funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for research involving recombinant DNA molecules. All recombinant DNA/synthetic nucleic acid research at University of Florida (UF), regardless of funding source, must be conducted in accordance with the NIH Guidelines (PDF, HTML)for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules and must be registered with the UF IBC. The UF IBC also reviews and approves registrations for the possession and use of BSL-3 pathogens and USDA/HHS Select Agents.
The UF IBC is registered with the NIH as the IBC record for all covered research conducted by the University of Florida at the main Gainesville campus. For research sites outside of Gainesville, the university has registered separate INBs. Each of these remote IBCs is composed of some members of the main campus IBC plus community members from the local area.
The IBC works in conjunction with the University of Florida Biological Safety Office to establish, monitor, and enforce policies and procedures for work with biohazardous materials. The IBC is authorized to inspect research facilities; register, review, and approve research protocols; and to take actions to enforce safe research practices or halt research activities in the event of unsafe practices that endanger worker, community, or environmental health.
The IBC meets the first and third Wednesdays of the month for review and approval of protocols and to discuss other business relevant to the charter of the IBC. Additional meetings are scheduled as necessary. The regular schedule is linked in the bar above.
The authority, purpose, and governing principles and procedures of the UF IBC are delineated in the IBC Charter.
The detailed instructions for principal investigators and laboratory staff are included in the Procedures and Practices.
Membership
Gainesville (Main) Campus: Membership consists of two community members (non-UF), a non-doctoral member, the University Biosafety Officer, and other members with expertise in biosafety, plant science, animal science, virology, bacteriology, pathology, and human gene therapy. Off campus IBCs consist of the Gainesville IBC chair, the relevant Biosafety Officer, other Biosafety staff members, content experts, and two community members.
Other non-Gainesville Research Sites: IBCs have been created for the following external research sites: Jacksonville, Orlando area, Whitney Labs, Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, West Florida Research and Education Center, Gulf Coast Research & Education Center, Ft. Lauderdale Research & Education Center.
Procedure for IBC Protocol Registration and Review
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- Principal Investigators must submit a registration form for all protocols requiring IBC review to the Biological Safety Office. Click here.
- The Biological Safety Office staff will work with investigators to ensure that the protocol is complete, clear, and accurate before being forwarded to the IBC chair for assignment to committee review. The IBC chair will assign a content expert reviewer, who will present the project at the next IBC meeting.
- Experiments involving deliberate transfer of rDNA into human subjects also require Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval as well. Depending on the nature of the study (e.g., UF investigational product, industry-sponsored clinical trial), this may be the UF IRB or an external IRB. IRB approval cannot be granted until IBC approval has been finalized. Transfer of rDNA into human subjects studies also requires the submission of the following.
- a study protocol
- informed consent
- investigator brochure
- Experiments involving animal work must also be approved by the University of Florida Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC). IACUC protocols will not receive final IACUC approval until IBC approval is obtained. Biological Safety Office staff advise the IACUC staff of approved, denied, or tabled projects and ensure concordance of material between the IBC and IACUC submissions.
- Experiments involving Select Agents as defined by the USDA or CDC must be registered with the CDC or USDA. These protocols must be submitted to the Biological Safety Office to begin the CDC/USDA registration process and to obtain approval from the IBC.