New rules, new committee will govern use of biohazardous agents

Robert C. Richardson, vice provost for research, has issued the following advisory to all members of the Cornell research community regarding potentially hazardous biological materials:

"Recent events have heightened the awareness of biological safety issues and have resulted in greater regulatory scrutiny of the use, transport and containment of potentially hazardous biological materials. Research universities are being held to more stringent levels of accountability. To meet the new challenge of ensuring strict compliance with all federal, state and institutional policies, Cornell University has formed an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). This new committee is charged with the responsibility to review all university research and teaching activities involving the use of biohazardous agents. These materials include: recombinant DNA; human, animal and plant pathogens regulated by NIH [National Institutes of Health], CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] or APHIS [U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service]; biological toxins; and gene therapy agents.

"The IBC will carry out the university's Biosafety Program in the acquisition, use, training, transfer, storage, disposal and emergency response procedures, emphasizing good biological safety practices that protect university personnel, the general public and the environment. The IBC will absorb the duties formerly handled by the Recombinant DNA Committee and will coordinate activities with the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, the University Committee on Humans Subjects, the Biohazard Committee at the Cornell Veterinary College and the Laboratory Safety Programs at EH&S [Environmental Health and Safety].

"Investigators engaged in any research or teaching activities that utilize any of the biohazardous agents mentioned above must submit a Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA) to the new IBC for review and approval. All researchers should consult the IBC web site http://www.osp.cornell.edu/Compliance/IBC.html for further information and instructions to ensure compliance. In many instances, an approved MUA must be in place prior to the start of the research. Failure to comply with IBC regulations and policies could result in suspension of research activities and/or forfeiture of federal, state and university research funds. Failure to comply with NIH Guidelines for Recombinant DNA and Gene Transfer could result in universitywide forfeiture of NIH funds."

Stewart Gray, chair of the IBC, cautions researchers not to confuse the required submission of an MUA to the IBC with a recent request from EH&S to register the possession and use of regulated infectious pathogens. The EH&S request is merely to catalog the infectious agents on campus; the IBC acts to review and approve research that utilizes potentially hazardous biological materials.