Business and Administration

The mission of the Biological Safety Program is to ensure that people working with biological agents on Auburn University’s campus are properly trained, have submitted the necessary research registration forms, have the appropriate safety equipment, and have an on-campus resource for any biosafety concerns. Please contact Deepika Suresh if you have any questions on different aspects of biological safety.

The Biological Safety Program at Auburn University provides guidance and assistance for faculty, staff, and students on issues related to the use of biohazardous materials in teaching, research, and related activities.  The goal of the program is to minimize the risks associated with the use and maintenance of biohazardous materials; maintain a safe and healthy work environment; and guard against the release of biohazardous materials that may harm humans, animals, plants or the environment.  Administrative components of the Biological Safety Program include the Office of Research Integrity & Compliance, the Department of Risk Management and Safety, and the Institutional Biosafety Committee.

The Office of Research Integrity & Compliance (ORIC) provides oversight, independently and in conjunction with the Auburn University Compliance Committees, for research and related activities under the authority of the Vice President for Research.  In relation to the Biological Safety Program, the ORIC provides administrative support to the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC); assists investigators with questions concerning the submission of Biological Use Authorizations; develops and disseminates educational materials related to IBC activities; and prepares and submits internal and external reports related to IBC activities.

The Department of Risk Management and Safety (RMS) provides subject matter experts in all areas of safety, including biological, chemical, radiological, occupational, and general laboratory safety. RMS supports Auburn University’s scientific community by providing training, conducting laboratory inspections, consulting on laboratory design, participating in the review of Biological Use Authorizations, and providing technical advice. Auburn University’s Biological Safety Officer reports to RMS, is a continuing member of the IBC, and is the technical point of contact for all biological safety issues.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee reviews and approves the use of all Risk Group 1 or higher biohazardous agents, all experiments involving human gene therapy, formation of transgenic animals or plants, and the generation and/or use of rDNA (as defined by the NIH Guidelines) to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and institutional policies.

The IBC must review and approve teaching, research, and related activities involving biohazardous materials. Biohazardous materials refer to substances of biological origin that have the potential to cause harm to humans, animals, or plants. Examples include recombinant DNA, transgenic animals or plants, human, animal, or plant pathogens, biological toxins (such as aflatoxin), human blood and other potentially infectious materials, and human or non-human primate cell cultures.

The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) oversees all plant-related research activities that involve plant-associated microbes, plant diseases, invasive plants, including noxious weeds, certain plant pests, and recombinant/synthetic nucleic acid (r/s NA) molecules, including transgenic plants.

Plant research typically poses no health hazards to humans. Plant biosafety oversight is needed to protect the natural and agricultural environment, such as controlling the inadvertent spread of pathogens or noxious weeds to crops or native vegetation and avoiding the introduction of unwanted exotic organisms into a new habitat; address concerns of unintentional transfer of plant genes, recombinant or synthetic, among local vegetation and crops; and protect the researcher and the institution by assuring compliance with applicable regulations and guidelines.

It is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator to apply for any necessary permits. In addition to obtaining relevant permit approvals, the use of the above-mentioned materials will require a Biological Use Authorization submission in Endeavor.  Registrations are reviewed and approved by the Institutional Biosafety Committee. Within the submission, investigators will need to upload the current versions of permits (such as interstate transport permits), field release approvals, and other supporting documentation. If a permit is not required, an email or verbiage from the regulatory agency is required. Include this information as a supporting document with the BUA submission. Permits must be maintained during the project. Any required renewal or permit changes must be submitted as an amendment to the project’s approved BUA.

For additional information regarding plant biosafety, permits, and resources, please contact the Biological Safety Officer