Part of Environmental Health and Safety, the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) evaluates and oversees the use of biohazardous agents to ensure compliance with appropriate regulations and guidelines. The committee plays an important role in safeguarding the health and safety of Brown University personnel, the community and the environment. 

The IBC is also responsible for identifying activities that fall under the government definition of “dual-use research of concern” (DURC), by reviewing information that researchers submit via the Biological Research Authorization Form.

Research Integrity and associated review boards, including the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), work closely with IBC to streamline and coordinate the dual-review process as much as possible to facilitate the start and continuation of Brown research.

Email biosafety@brown.edu if you have questions about IBC review, need additional information about IBC regulations or need to request a Biological Research Authorization Form or amendment form.

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

IBC oversees the use of human source material in research, including blood, body fluids, tissues and cell lines; infected clinical specimens; or biologically contaminated specimens.

Some examples of human subject research requiring IBC oversight include the following, among other activities:

• Serial blood sampling or the processing of human blood during alcohol consumption or smoking studies.
• Utilizing recombinant DNA to study how viruses attach and move within human cells
• Inducing alterations in morphology and gene expression in various human cell line 3D microtissues utilizing various toxins

Human Gene Transfer

If you have any plan to begin human gene transfer work, you must contact the IBC prior to submitting a protocol. The IBC is required to oversee such work in accordance with National Institutes of Health (NIH) regulations.

Brown’s IBC has oversight of any biohazardous material used in animal research. IBC approval also is required for the use of any agents listed by the U.S. government as select agents or biological toxins (42 CFR 73), whether or not they are pathogenic or exempt from NIH federal regulations and regardless of funding source. This also includes any synthetic or recombinant nucleic acid work, including those exempt from NIH guidelines. 

IBC approval must first be received in order for the IACUC to approve any corresponding animal research protocol.

Examples of Human Subject Research Requiring IBC Oversight

Some examples of human subject research requiring IBC oversight include the following, among other activities:

• Utilizing recombinant DNA to study how viruses attach and move within animal cells
• Use of bacteria to maintain and propagate expression plasmids
• Use of recombinant Cholera toxin B in cerebral tissue of mice
• Injection of Candida strains into fish in order to monitor the progression of disease