Biosafety Committee
Purpose/Membership
The Biosafety Committee is responsible for oversight of all recombinant DNA (rDNA) research conducted at or sponsored by ISU. It is responsible for ensuring such research is carried in compliance with federal law and regulation; its concerns include the science, safety, contamination, and ethics of proposed research. The Biosafety Committee must review and give prior approve for all research activities involving rDNA, through a formal review of the proposed protocols. The Committee also conducts periodic reviews of rDNA research at ISU, and is responsible for having in place emergency plans for both accidental spills and personnel contamination involving rDNA.
As required by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Biosafety Committee must be comprised of no fewer than five members, and have appropriate experience and expertise in rDNA technology research. At least two members must be from outside the institution. Other Committee Members are appointed by the Vice President for Research, and the Committee is headed by a Chair.
For ISU Researchers
Researchers must submit an application, including the proposed protocol, to the Biosafety Committee and receive approval prior to any rDNA-related work beginning. Guidelines for the preparation of an application are here.
Recombinant DNA molecules are defined as either: (i) molecules that are constructed outside living cells by joining natural or synthetic DNA segments to DNA molecules that can replicate in a living cell, or (ii) molecules that result from the replication of those described in (i) above. Synthetic DNA segments likely to yield a potentially harmful polynucleotide or polypeptide (e.g., a toxin or a pharmacologically active agent) are considered equivalent to their natural DNA counterpart. If the synthetic DNA segment is not expressed in vivo as a biologically active polynucleotide or polypeptide product, it is exempt from NIH Guidelines. Genomic DNA of plants and bacteria that have acquired a transposable element, even if the latter was donated from a recombinant vector no longer present, are not subject to the NIH Guidelines unless the transposon itself contains recombinant DNA.
| Yongsheng Ma | ISU Boise | yongsheng.ma@va.gov |
| Curt Anderson | Biological Sciences | andecurt@isu.edu |
| Deborah Newby | INL | deborah.newby@inl.gov |
| Peter Sheridan, Chair | Biological Sciences | sherpete@isu.edu |
| Erin O'Leary-Jepsen | Molecular Research Core Facility | oleaerin@isu.edu |
| Frank Roberto | INL | frank.roberto@inl.gov |