Institutional Biosafety Committee

IBC Frequently Asked Questions

  • What type of research requires Institutional Biosafety Committee approval?

    Research at Seattle Children's Research Institute involving the use of biohazardous materials, including recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), agents infectious to humans or animals and genetically altered organisms and agents require IBC approval.back to top

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  • Who can be a Principal Investigator (PI) on an IBC protocol?

    A principal investigator is a member of the faculty or staff who bears responsibility for the intellectual leadership of a project. The principal investigator accepts overall responsibility for directing the research and for complying with relevant policies and sponsor terms and conditions of award.back to top

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  • What are biohazardous materials?

    Biohazards are infectious agents or hazardous biological materials that present a risk or potential risk to the health of humans, animals or the environment. The risk can be direct through infection or indirect through damage to the environment.

    Biohazardous materials include certain types of recombinant DNA; organisms and viruses infectious to humans, animals or plants (e.g., parasites, viruses, bacteria, fungi, prions, rickettsia); and biologically active agents (e.g., toxins, allergens, venoms) that may cause disease in other living organisms or cause significant impact to the environment or community.

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  • What do I do if I change my research after my protocol is approved?

    You must obtain approval from the IBC on any changes prior to their implementation.back to top

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