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IBC Overview
West Virginia University (WVU) conducts research involving recombinant DNA (rDNA) and receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for at least part of this research. The NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant and Synthetic Nucleic Acids state that any institution conducting rDNA research which is covered by the NIH Guidelines must establish an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) which will be responsible for review of that research.
At WVU the IBC’s job is to review research being conducted on all campuses involving the following:
Recombinant DNA
Definition: Molecules which are constructed outside living cells by joining natural
or synthetic DNA segments to DNA molecules that can replicate in a living cell,
and the molecules that result from the replication of those cells. This includes
transgenic animals, plants, and human gene transfer.
Pathogens and Toxins
A pathogen or infectious agent is any agent associated with disease in humans,
animals, or plants. This includes blood borne pathogens in human samples and cell
lines.
Wild Animals or Exotic Pests
Wild animals must be handled cautiously due to the large number of pathogens they
could be carrying. This also includes plants, arthropods, or animals not indigenous
to the area.