University Policy RP11: Use of Regulated and Biohazardous Materials in Research and Instruction has been updated to clarify when Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) review is required and to better align the University Park and College of Medicine IBCs.
Importantly, biological biospecimens (e.g., saliva, blood, urine, feces, rumen contents, raw milk, or unfixed tissues) collected from animals, including invertebrates, requiring handling conditions above Biosafety Level 1 are considered a regulated material and must be submitted to the IBC for review.
The University Park IBC also reclassified chemical carcinogens as regulated material to align with the College of Medicine IBC. Chemicals are now under the purview of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and do not require review by the IBC. Please refer to EHS for more information about requirements working with chemicals.
To learn more about biosafety levels and biospecimens from animals, visit the Office for Research Protections.
More information about the IBC and submissions is available at https://researchsupport.psu.edu/orp/ibc/. Read the full updated policy.