Use of Biohazardous Substances:

The goal of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is to minimize the risks of injury and illness and help ensure containment for activities using potentially biohazardous materials and recombinant DNA.   Biosafety is a cooperative effort of the IBC, the investigators, and laboratory staff. The IBC reviews proposed research involving recombinant DNA techniques and other biohazards (i.e., infectious or venomous agents); consults with researchers on biosafety procedures; trains faculty, staff, and students involved in biohazardous research to obtain compliance with appropriate rules; maintains liaison with biosafety personnel at state and federal agencies, industries, and other universities; and does surveillance of laboratory accidents involving biohazardous agents. The IBC also reports to National Institutes of Health (NIH) significant (recalcitrant) violations of or problems with NIH guidelines and significant research-related accidents or illnesses.

Biohazardous Research Checklist:

This checklist will assist investigators in determining whether the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) needs to review their proposed use of biohazardous materials. IBC review and approval may be obtained by completing and forwarding this form to the Office of Sponsored Research and Programs. The Principal Investigator is responsible to provide sufficient information to allow the IBC to determine if this work can be conducted safely and appropriately. If a grant proposal has been submitted to a funding source, a copy of your grant proposal must accompany the completed application.

Checklist: Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA) Biohazardous Research Checklist

Packing and Shipping of Biomedical Material:
It is the intent of the regulation that biomedical material that may contain etiologic agents will be packaged and shipped in such a way that the contents will not leak and will arrive in good condition. This form that describes the requirements for the proper packaging and shipping of biomedical material. (42 CFR Part 72) - Interstate Shipment of Etiologic Agents. [Links open in a new window]

Checklist: Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA) Bophazardous Research Checklist

Memorandum of understanding and agreement for recombinant DNA:

Please review this agreement prior to completion and provide information as requested relevant to recombinant DNA molecules in use. All research involving recombinant DNA molecules must comply with the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules. Experiments using biohazardous materials and toxins should follow the NIH guidelines http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/rac/guidelines/guidelines.html and the 5th edition of CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories . [Links open in a new window]

Memorandum of understanding and agreement (MUA) for biohazards other than recombinant DNA experiments:

For purposes of this agreement, biohazardous materials are defined as any organism known to or suspected of causing infection in humans, and a toxin is a proteinaceous poison which is highly toxic to humans. Experiments using biohazardous materials and toxins should follow the NIH guidelines http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/rac/guidelines/guidelines.html and the 5th edition of CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories. [Links open in a new window]

Other Links:

The following websites contain information that can help you complete the MUA.

http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl/bmbl3toc.htm; CDC - Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL
http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/rac/guidelines/guidelines.html;  NIH guidelines for work with recombinant DNA molecules
http://www.absa.org/resriskgroup.html; ABSA - American Biological Safety Association Risk Group classification tables
http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/biosafety/en/Biosafety7.pdf; WHO 2004 Laboratory Biosafety Manual (PDF document)
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