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Research Policy and Compliance  /  Committees  /  Administrative Committee on Biosafety

Administrative Committee on Biosafety

The Administrative Committee on Biosafety oversight helps to ensure that all research protocols and teaching involving use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids, infectious and biohazardous agents, regulated toxins and the facilities used for teaching and to conduct such research are in compliance with existing government regulations and applicable Caltech policies.

The Committee fills the following roles at Caltech, including the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (the "Institute"):

(1) The Committee serves as the NIH-required Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and is charged with the responsibility of reviewing protocols for research and teaching that involve the use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids, subject to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules ("NIH Guidelines"),

(2) The Committee serves as the reviewing entity for the Institute for infectious biological and biohazardous agents and ensures that select agents and toxins (as defined by the federal regulations) are appropriately monitored.

(3) The Committee serves as the Institutional Review Entity (IRE) for assessing applicability and implementation of the US Government Policy ("USG Policy") for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern ("DURC").