About the IBC and Biosafety Program

Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) were established under the NIH Guidelines to provide local review and oversight of nearly all forms of research utilizing recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (r/sNAs). Over time, many institutions have chosen to assign their IBCs the responsibility of reviewing a variety of experimentation that involves biological materials and other potentially hazardous agents. This additional responsibility is assigned entirely at the discretion of the institution.

The Portal IBC is responsible for reviewing and overseeing research r/sNAs and other biohazard materials. A full list of materials covered by Portal’s IBC can be found below in the “Relevant Regulations and Materials”.

The IBC is a committee led by the appointed IBC Chair for each site and consists of the Portal Lab team, experts in various fields, including biosafety, human gene therapy, infectious disease, recombinant DNA, animal containment, plant containment, and occupational health, and community members. The IBC is responsible for establishing, monitoring, and enforcing policies and procedures involving hazardous biological materials and r/sNAs to meet applicable federal, state, local and institutional regulations, and guidelines.

Portal IBCs are partnered with Triumvirate Environmental Health and Safety (TEI) to provide technical expertise, and provides training, resources, and guidance to researchers to ensure safe laboratory practices and containment of biohazards, protecting personnel, the public, and the environment.

Relevant Regulations and Materials

The IBC reviews and approves protocols for research classified as Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2) and practices for constructing and handling rDNA molecules, and viruses and organisms containing rDNA molecules.​

rDNA molecules are defined as molecules that are constructed outside living cells by joining natural or synthetic DNA segments to DNA segments that can replicate in living cells as covered by the NIH Guidelines include the following: