Biosafety Bulletin Vol 3 Issue 2 – June 2016
A quarterly newsletter from the BU Office of Institutional Biosafety Committee
See the PDF of the June 2016 Biosafety Bulletin
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Site Visit
The Compliance Assurance Program Office of the DHS visited Boston University in May to review the Biosafety
Program as a part of a routine site visit. DHS commended BU and found no non-compliance issues.
Policy Updates
The new IBC policy on Incident Reporting Requirements for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules describes the necessary steps to report an incident to the ROHP and the subsequent processing of information by the BSO and the IBC office.
The IBC has updated the Training and Health Clearance Requirements Policy, which now requires that all individuals listed on a research protocol involving recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules must complete the rDNA/IBC Policy Training.
New guidance on Obtaining USDA and CDC Permits for Importing and Transferring Animal Pathogens and Related Biological Materials is now available on the IBC website. This guidance provides BU researchers with information regarding the USDA and CDC regulatory requirements on transporting animal pathogens and related biological materials used for research purposes.
IBC Member Training Sessions
The IBC arranged for two presentations this past quarter to educate committee members on emergency
preparedness and emerging infectious diseases. Dr. Andry and Dr. Bhadelia presented Boston University’s strategic plan for the containment and treatment of high-risk infections, and Dr. Ingalls provided an Overview of the Zika virus.
Changes in the IBC
After nine years of service as an IBC member and former Chair, Dr. F. Gibson has stepped down. The IBC would like to express their gratitude for the considerable time and effort he dedicated to the committee.
Helpful Tips
- University policy requires that all laboratory personnel follow all lab safety practices based on the biosafety level of the laboratory to ensure your safety and others in your laboratory.
- BU’s Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in Laboratories Policy requires all laboratory personal to wear a long sleeve lab coat, appropriate to the laboratory’s type of work, over their street clothes while in the lab. Other minimum PPE that should be worn in the lab include gloves and eye protection (as
needed, depending on the experiments being done). - Now that summer is upon us please remember that shorts and open-toe shoes are prohibited in all laboratories. All skin below the waist, including the ankles, must be covered at all times while in the lab.
- Always wash hands with soap and water after all laboratory activities, following the removal of gloves, and immediately following contact with infectious agents. Make sure you remove gloves and wash your hands with soap before touching doorknobs or leaving the lab.
- Alert all visitors to the biohazards in your lab and make sure they follow safety practices of your lab, including washing their hands when they leave.
- All individuals listed on IBC protocols involving recombinant and synthetic nucleic acids must now complete the rDNA/IBC policy training in RIMS and pass the quiz before engaging in any protocol related activities. Once complete, this training will now be valid for 3 years.
- A brief description of BSL1-level work (culture of non-pathogenic bacteria, plasmid extraction, molecular cloning, and related work) must also be included in the laboratory procedure section of your IBC protocol.
The Biosafety Bulletin is a quarterly newsletter that is distributed to PIs and is posted on the IBC website. The Biosafety Bulletin highlights changes to IBC Policies, provides updates to the online application and protocol management system (RIMS), and offers helpful hints for completing IBC applications, annual renewals and amendments. Please feel free to email ibc@bu.edu with any topic suggestions.