Institutional Biosafety Committee
Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) are the cornerstone of institutional oversight of research that involves the use of biohazardous agents, including recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.
The Virginia Tech Institutional Biosafety Committee has been charged with the planning and implementation of requirements for the use of biohazardous materials at the university.
The committee functions to facilitate compliance of the instructional and research activities conducted at Virginia Tech with our federally mandated responsibilities and obligations, as outlined by current government requirements described in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines); the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS), both associated with the Federal Select Agent Program; and Occupational Health and Safety Administration regulations. Additional Select Agent guidance may be found at the National Institutes of Health website. The Virginia Tech IBC consists of faculty, staff, and community representatives who have responsibility for reviewing all teaching and research activities involving:
- infectious agents (bacteria, viruses, prions, protozoans, fungi, etc.)
- biologically derived toxins
- human and/or non-human primate blood, body fluids, cells or tissue culture
- recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules
- genetic engineering and/or modification in any organism
- transgenic animals, invertebrates, and/or plants
- gene transfer
- select agents
- dual-use research of concern in life sciences
- synthetic biology
Experiments involving these activities cannot be started without prior protocol review and approval by the committee. The committee reviews individual research protocols that inolve the use of biohazardous materials for adherence to biosafety and biosecurity requirements. The committee oversees and reviews research protocols involved in both teaching and research, regardless of the funding source(s). In areas of overlap, it coordinates with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee when animals are used, the Institutional Review Board when human subjects are involved, and the Radiation Safety Committee when applicable.
The committee is administratively supported by the Institutional Biosafety Committee Program staff.
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Meet and Greets
The staff of the Institutional Biosafety Committee Program hosts meet and greet events on the Blacksburg campus throughout the year. These events are open to all members of the Virginia Tech community. During the events, staff will be available to discuss the IBC program, and to answer questions or to discuss needs related to the use of biohazardous agents and the National Institutes of Health Guidelines. Below are the dates, times, and locations for upcoming events. Information will be updated regularly, so please check back for new dates.
Upcoming Meet and Greets
| Date | Time | Location | Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 13 | 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. | ILSB Atrium |
Meet and Greet |
| Oct. 29 | 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. | TBD | Biosafety and Biosecurity Day |
Contact the Institutional Biosafety Committee Program to request personal discussions or Zoom meetings for yourself, lab personnel, faculty meetings, classes, or seminars at ibc@vt.edu.