The TWU Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is responsible for oversight of all laboratories and research projects that involve recombinant DNA (rDNA) or biohazardous agents.

Faculty and staff with teaching or research laboratories containing chemicals used as reagents or for purposes other than cleaning are required to register their laboratories annually. If either rDNA or biohazardous agents are present in the laboratory, the researcher will be notified by the IBC that (1) the project is exempt from NIH Guidelines (the registration form will be returned with approval signature), or (2) a full application to the IBC must be submitted for the project.  

Any research at Texas Woman’s University (TWU), including educational activities using recombinant DNA or biohazardous agents must be approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) prior to acquisition of the agents or initiation of the activity. Non-compliance with rDNA guidelines can jeopardize all NIH funding at TWU.

Definitions:

Biohazardous Agents: any microorganism, virus, infectious substance, or toxin that is biological in nature and capable of producing deleterious effects upon humans, animals, plants, or the environment.

Recombinant DNA: Recombinant DNA research involves the joining of natural or synthetic DNA/RNA segments outside the cell that can then be introduced and replicated in a living cell and includes derivatives that occur upon replication. This includes the use of recombinant DNA molecules.