Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

 

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Under the NIH guidelines, the University, its Institutional Biosafety Committee, and the Principal Investigator are assigned major roles in assuring that work with recombinant DNA is performed as safely as possible, and in ways that eliminate or reduce potential exposure of personnel and environment.  The University has also chosen to expand the functions of the IBC to include overseeing the use of other biohazards not included in the NIH guidelines.

The Principal Investigator has an obligation to be closely familiar with health and safety guidelines applicable to their work and to adhere to them. The University has ultimate responsibility and is guided in providing such assurance by the IBC. The mission of the Institutional Biosafety Committee is:

1. To ensure that all recombinant DNA research activities at the University of Rochester comply with Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines) and the New York State Department of Health.  

2.  To ensure that protocols of all research at the University which uses or produces biohazardous organisms or materials requiring Biological Safety Level 2 or higher containment, including but not limited to recombinant DNA, are reviewed and found to protect personnel, environmental and public safety.

The IBC will meet as needed to fulfill its mission. The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) staff of the University will support the IBC in the carrying out of its mission.  Contact the IBC Program Coordinator (pbardeen@safety.rochester.edu) for the schedule.

Correspondence with the IBC should be addressed through the intramural mail to:

Patty Bardeen, IBC Program Coordinator
Environmental Health & Safety
RC Box 278878
X52402
pbardeen@safety.rochester.edu

Questions regarding containment or biosafety can be addressed to either:

Janet Ives, Biosafety Officer
x53014
jives@safety.rochester.edu

or

Dr. Martin Pavelka, Chair, IBC
x54670
martin_pavelka@urmc.rochester.edu

This page last updated 4/3/07. Disclaimer