Research & Sponsored Programs

Institutional Biosafety Committee

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversees biological agent use in research conducted at or on behalf of Hofstra University. The IBC ensures that research involving these agents is conducted in a manner that protects researchers, laboratory personnel, the public and the environment ensuring compliance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines, federal and state regulations, and institutional policies.

For information about the IBC, email ibc@hofstra.edu.

Hofstra Employees

Hofstra University’s 2019-2024 IBC meetings are listed below.

Approval Categories

Any research project or course-associated project that contains the following requires IBC registration and approval (Section III-D of the NIH Guidelines):

  1. DNA from a Risk Group 2 agent transferred into any prokaryote.
  2. Eukaryotic DNA or RNA viral vectors are used.
  3. Bacteria or Fungi from Risk Group 2 or above.
  4. Involves ≥10 L of culture for a single procedure.
  5. Cell lines that contain recombinant DNA, contain integrated viral genome sequence, or for some other reason require BSL-2 (or higher) containment.
  6. Experiments in which nucleic acid is added to plants or animals that are exotic to the local habitat, are considered noxious weeds or pests, or in which the DNA added is from an infectious agent.

Any research project or course-associated project that contains the following requires notification of the IBC, but not approval before work commences (Section III-E of the NIH Guidelines):

  1. Two-thirds or less of a eukaryotic virus genome transferred into any cell line or microorganism.
  2. The transfer of nucleic acid into any organism in which the nucleic acid in question has no recognized potential for serious detrimental impact on managed or natural ecosystems.

A more complete description of the types of experiments covered (or are exempt) from IBC approval can be found in the NIH Guidelines.