Federal Guidelines established by the National Institute of Health, require that institutions conducting or sponsoring research using recombinant DNA molecules or synthetic nucleic acid molecules covered by the NIH Guidelines, be responsible for ensuring that the research is conducted in full conformity with the provisions of the NIH Guidelines. In order to fulfill this responsibility, The University of Tulsa has established an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) charged with oversight responsibilities for all research related activities involving recombinant DNA molecules or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.
The University of Tulsa’s Institutional Biosafety Committee is responsible for reviewing and approving those research and teaching activities conducted by faculty, staff, students and/or visiting scientists on University of Tulsa property, and/or under the control of The University of Tulsa faculty, staff or students, that involve the use of recombinant DNA molecules or synthetic nucleic acid molecules.
NIH Guidelines states, “The purpose of the NIH Guidelines is to specify the practices for constructing and handling:
- recombinant nucleic acid molecules,
- synthetic nucleic acid molecules, including those that are chemically or otherwise modified but can base pair with naturally occurring nucleic acid molecules, and
- cells, organisms, and viruses containing such molecules
In the NIH Guidelines, recombinant and synthetic nucleic acid molecules are defined as:
- molecules that a) are constructed by joining nucleic acid molecules, and b) can replicate in a living cell (i.e. recombinant nucleic acids);
- nucleic acid molecules that are chemically or by other means synthesized or amplified, including those that are chemically or otherwise modified but can base pair with naturally occurring nucleic acid molecules (i.e. synthetic nucleic acids); or
- molecules that result from the replication of those described in (1) or (2) above.
TU IBC General Policy and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
- TU IBC General Policy v9.20.2019
- TU IBC-SOP-001 IBC Membership, Registration, Confidentiality v9.20.2019
- TU IBC-SOP-002 IBC Submission, Review, Approval v6.15.2020
- TU IBC-SOP-003 IBC Expiration Dates, Annual Review, Modifications v9.20.2019
- TU IBC-SOP-004 IBC Gene Editing Technologies v6.15.2020
- TU IBC-SOP-005 IBC Incident Reporting v9.20.2019
TU IBC Forms
- TU IBC Protocol Form v7.8.2021
- TU IBC Annual Progress Report Form v6.8.2023
- TU IBC Modification Request Form v7.8.2021
Contact: researchcompliance@utulsa.edu, 918-631-3310
Contact: Dr. Mohamed Fakhr, Chair, Institutional Biosafety Committee, at 918-631-2197