MEMBERSHIP AND PROCEDURES OF THE IBC

LBNL has agreed to follow the procedures and practices established by the NIH Guidelines for an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).

The IBC is comprised of members so selected that they collectively have experience and expertise and the capability to assess the safety of research experiments and potential risk to public health or the environment in accordance with the NIH Guidelines. Two members, not affiliated with LBNL (apart from their membership on the IBC) serve on the IBC.  They represent the interests of the surrounding community with respect to health and protection of the environment. One member is a non-doctoral person from a laboratory technical staff.

No member of the IBC is involved (except to provide information requested by the IBC) in the review or approval of a project in which he or she has been, or expects to be, engaged or has a direct financial interest.

FUNCTIONS OF THE IBC

The IBC is responsible for reviewing all recombinant DNA research conducted at or sponsored by LBNL for compliance with the NIH Guidelines, and approving those research projects that it finds are in conformity with the Guidelines.

In addition, the IBC is responsible for reviewing protocols involving etiologic agents.

This review includes:

• Providing an independent assessment of the containment levels required for the proposed research and development activities.
• Evaluating facilities, procedures, and practices, and of the training and expertise of personnel and notifying the PI of the results of their review.
• Periodically reviewing biological research being conducted at LBNL, to ensure that the requirements of the Guidelines and other relevant regulations are being fulfilled.
• Emergency plans covering accidental spills and personnel contamination resulting from such research.