Biological Safety

Register Biological Materials

All research and instruction involving the following materials require registration with the Biological Safety Office and approval from the Institutional Biosafety Committee. The IBC reviews Biosafety Protocol (BSP) applications once per month.

Materials that require registration and approval from IBC

  • Any recombinant DNA (this includes NIH Guidelines “exempt” and “non-exempt” materials) )(e.g., human gene therapy/transfer, viral vectors, plasmids, transgenic animals)
  • CDC/USDA regulated Select Agents/Toxins
  • Fixed and unfixed cadavers, mammalian cells, cell lines, tissues, organs, blood, urine or other fluids (e.g., human and non-human primate materials)
  • Whole animals, cells, cell lines, tissues, organs, blood, urine or other fluids (e.g., commercial, field caught, gained from a collaborator)
  • Microbial and/or potentially infectious agents (e.g., viruses, yeast, bacteria, fungi, parasites, prions)
  • Toxins of biological origin with an LD 50 <100ug/kg of body weight or poisonous, toxic or venomous plants, animals or insects (e.g., pertussis toxin, diphtheria toxin)
  • Large scale cultures10 liters at any one time of any biological substance
  • Shipping of biological materials (e.g., potentially infectious agents clinical/diagnostic specimens, cultures of microorganisms or cells, tissues, genetically modified organisms, toxins of biological origin) and dangerous goods (e.g. Dry ice, liquid nitrogen, fixatives)

Application Checklist

Contact Us

Biological Safety Office

Health Sciences Campus

Environmental Health & Safety Building

706-721-2663

BIOSAFETY@augusta.edu

How to Register

Registration of biological materials involves 3 basic steps. Biosafety Protocols (BSP) involving r/s NA must be submitted.

  • Email your application to: biosafety@augusta.edu
  • When: By the 1st of the month to be considered for IBC review during that month's meeting. 

1. Submit an application (or amend an existing one):

Submission of an application allows the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and/or the Biosafety Office to perform a comprehensive risk assessment of the proposed research or teaching operation.

Scientific Research Forms

Fill out a scientific research application or amend an existing application:

Instructions:


Clinical Research Forms

Fill out a clinical research application or amend an existing application:

Instructions:

 

2. Review Process: 

A comprehensive risk assessment involves review of biological agents, experimental procedures, locations, personnel and their expertise, equipment, and training. The risk assessment also addresses whether the application's proposed safety methods can mitigate the associated risks. 

3. Approval:

All research involving biological agents must be reviewed and approved by the IBC and/or Biosafety Office before a PI is authorized to bring the agents to campus or initiate a research project.