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Institutional Biosafety Committee

October is National Biosafety and Biosecurity Month

Started in 2014 by the National Institutes of Health, the National Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is a period during which institutions are encouraged to reinforce their attention to biosafety and biosecurity practices, policies, and procedures.  Join the Institutional Biosafety Committee program and Environmental Health and Safety Biosafety group in celebrating Virginia Tech's accomplishments in biosafety and biosecurity.

Participate in a lab activity challenge Sept. 1 through Oct. 31 for a chance to win the Biosafety & Biosecurity Month Lab Challenge Trophy.

Join us on Oct. 25 for activities, prizes, and an escape room.

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Virginia Tech IBCP Meet and Greet Events

The staff of the Institutional Biosafety Committee program (IBCP) will be hosting monthly Meet and Greet events at buildings on the Blacksburg campus.  These events are open to all members of the Virginia Tech community.  During the Meet and Greet events, IBCP staff will be available to speak to you about the IBC Program, and to answer questions or to discuss your 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 this site for new dates.

To request personal discussions or Zoom meetings for yourself, lab personnel, faculty meetings, classes, or seminars please contact the IBCP office (ibc@vt.edu).

Upcoming Meet and Greet Events      

Date Time Location
Oct. 25 
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Steger Hall
1st Floor Lobby
     
           
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact the IBC Program Director at 540-231-1910 or ibc@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

About the Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is administratively supported by the IBC Program staff.

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 IBC has been charged with the planning and implementation of the campus Biosafety program with a purpose to ensure the health and safety of all personnel working with biohazardous agents.

The IBC functions to ensure that instructional and research activities conducted at Virginia Tech are in compliance 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) select agent guidelines and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) select agent regulations, both associated with the National Select Agent Registry; and Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) 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 IBC.  The IBC drafts campus biosafety policies and procedures, and reviews individual research protocols for biosafety concerns. The IBC 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 IACUC when animals are used, the Institutional Review Board (IRB) when human subjects are involved, and the Radiation Safety Committee when applicable.