Rensselaer is responsible, under federal law (Section III of the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules), for the approval and supervision of all research and teaching activities that involve recombinant DNA or synthetic nucleic acids. Additionally, the IBC reviews research involving agents regulated by the USDA, the CDC and other biological material deemed to be potentially hazardous.
To ensure compliance, Rensselaer’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) reviews and approves all relevant research projects for campus faculty, students, and staff. The proposed research is reviewed to ensure that the work will be performed with appropriate personnel training, required facility safeguards and adequate biosafety procedures.
The IBC reviews, approves and monitors all research involving the following material, regardless of the source of funding:
- Recombinant or synthetic DNA or RNA molecules
- Plasmids and transposons
- Viruses and viral vectors
- Human and non-human primate cells, tissues and fluids
- Prions
- Bacteria
- Yeast
- Fungi
- Toxins
- All pathogens and select agents
Blanca Barquera, Ph.D., Chair
Brandt Burgess, Ph.D., Director of Research Compliance
- IBC applications must be submitted by an RPI Principal Investigator.
- All named personnel on an application must have completed all required biosafety and laboratory training(s).
- The PI should email the IBC application (and any associated documents) to the Director of Research Compliance (DRC) at burgeb@rpi.edu.
- The DRC will upload the document(s) into the Axiom Mentor system, the PI will receive system-generated emails updating of the status of the application as it moves through the review process.
- Approvals are good for two years, no annual update required.
Any questions pertaining to forms and the submission process should email burgeb@rpi.edu.
RPI’s IBC full committee meetings are open to the public. Full committee meetings are held as needed and therefore, an annual schedule is not available. For information regarding meeting dates and times, please contact Brandt Burgess, Director of Research Compliance, at burgeb@rpi.edu.