The purpose of the Institutional Biosafety Guidelines and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is to ensure protection of faculty, staff, and students who generate, process and dispose of potentially hazardous biological materials at Centenary College of Louisiana as well as others who may become exposed to biological hazards within the institutional environment. In addition, Centenary must comply with guidelines and regulations established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) regarding research involving recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules and those established by the U. S. Government regarding life sciences research with high-consequence pathogens and toxins (dual use research of concern, or DURC).

 

The NIH’s Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA) develops public policies in three areas: Biomedical Technology Assessment (human gene transfer and human stem cells), Biosafety (recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules), and Biosecurity (DURC). Research involving human gene transfer, human stem cells, and DURC toxins and organisms are expressly prohibited at Centenary College of Louisiana. As such, Centenary’s responsibilities relating to biosafety are establishing and maintaining a compliant Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC), ensuring adequate expertise and training, filing an annual report with the Office of Biotechnology Activities (OBA), and establishing procedures that the IBC follows for reviewing and approving applications and complying with federal regulations.

 

The IBC shall be comprised of five members that meet NIH requirements, each appointed by the Provost. These shall include: