Charge

The Institutional Biosatety Committee (IBC) reports to the Vice President for Research and Innovation on matters related to biological safety and security (see TTU OP 74.05).  The IBC is a faculty-led committee focuses on both human health protection and biorisk reduction in TTU facilities and provides direction for the following:

• Policies and procedures relating to potentially pathogenic microorganisms and implementation of biological safety programs for Texas Tech University.
• Ensuring Texas Tech University's compliance with NIH guidelines and assess the safety of recombinant DNA research experiments and any potential risk to public health or the environment.
• Compliance with the US Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Reserach of Concern (DURC) and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (PePP), and serve as the Institutional Review Entity (IRE) for this work.
• Review all research and teaching activities involving:
  • Recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid (rNA/sNA) activities; 
  • Materials or agents potentially infectious to humans, plants, and/or animals – including the storage or concentration of any potentially biohazardous materials; 
  • Except for general surveillance, arthropods that serve as vectors of disease to humans, plants, or other animals, and arthropods that are considered an environmental hazard;
  • Use of soil seed, plants, plant pathogens (e.g., bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites) or other material received under a USDA APHIS compliance agreement or permit;
  • Use of potentially infectious human and/or non-human primate materials; 
  • Use of cell lines that pose a danger to humans, animals, and/or plants, and/or those immortalized by means that render them dangerous to humans, animals, and/or plants;
  • The use of biologically derived toxins; 
  • Work involving prions or prion-like proteins;
  • Any Select Agent or Toxin as listed in 7 CFR 331, 9 CFR 121, and/or 42 CFR 73;
  • Category 1 and 2 Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential as per the United States Government Policy for Oversight.
  • Necropsy of animals not under the care of the University Veterinarian,  necropsy that involves hands-on student involvement, animals with unknown health status, and/or involves animals reasonably suspected or known to be infectious;
  • Other work as deemed necessary for review by the Biological Safety Officer; and/or
  • work with other potentially biohazardous materials conducted at, or sponsored by the University for compliance with the guidelines in the CDC/NIH Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) and approve those research projects that meet or exceed the requirements in the BMBL.
• To produce and update the University Biosafety Manual and oversee its implementation in the research and teaching initiatives of Texas Tech University.
• To review and recommend to Environmental Health & Safety the need for general and specific training programs for research, studio, and teaching activities dealing with biohazards or materials of a potentially biohazardous nature and recombinant DNA, and to review the appropriateness and effectiveness of such training programs.

The Department of Environmental Health & Safety helps coordinate the committee and develop and implement the biological safety programs of the IBC.

IBC Resources

About the IBC

IBC Policies

Researcher Toolbox (Forms & Guides)

IBC Protocol Registration Process

Cayuse FAQs

Cayuse Personnel Registration

DURC-PEPP

IBC Minutes

Biosafety Home

Lab Safety Resources

Email the IBC