As mandated by the NIH Guidelines, UTMB’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is responsible for reviewing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid (r/sNA) molecule research conducted at or sponsored by UTMB. This review includes setting the containment level for the proposed research; assessing facilities, procedures, practices, and training and expertise of personnel involved in this research; and assessing biosafety issues for this research involving human research participants. In addition, the UTMB IBC oversees other potentially hazardous biological materials. Current IBC oversight includes:
- Recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid (r/sNA) molecules (purchased or manipulated) regulated by the NIH Guidelines
- Risk group 2, 3, and 4 infectious agents
- Select Agents and Toxins (greater than the permissible amounts), including regulated positive-strand RNA virus genomes
- Human and nonhuman primate products for research (e.g., blood, body fluids, tissue, commercial, established, and primary cell lines)
- Inactivation of biological material for removal from BSL3 and BSL4 laboratories to be further manipulated at a lower biosafety level (Inactivation SOPs), including regulated positive-strand RNA virus genomes
- Research that may be within scope of the USG DURC-PEPP Policy, including any amount of Select Toxins