Biosafety and Biosecurity

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

Biosafety – NIH Guidelines (NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules) training is required for all personnel using materials or agents that contain recombinant and/or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (DNA, RNA, or other genetic material) at the University of Pittsburgh and affiliated institutions. Training for investigators and research staff includes safety considerations in the principles of construction or handling of IBC-oversight materials, and regulatory requirements.  

Note that if you perform research activities such as: to amplify or clone plasmids in bacterial cultures, work with viral vectors, perform experiments with siRNA in vivo or in vitro, conduct clinical trials using agents that contain recombinant DNA or segments of genetic material, or maintain a breeding or crossing-breeding colony of rodents, then these activities must be registered with the Institutional Biosafety Committee Office, as they fall under experiments in the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules.

Additional training and consultation is offered by the staff of the Institutional Biosafety Office (IBC Office). Visit the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for more information.
 
Individuals are required to complete the NIH Guidelines course through CITI. No recertification required.