Policy and Procedure
RESEARCH POLICY SERIES
POLICY AND PROCEDURE STATEMENT ON
BIOSAFETY AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY
PURPOSE
Biological safety is the discipline that addresses the safe handling and containment of biohazardous materials in order to protect humans, animals, plants and the environment. The Biosafety policy describes the University’s stance on the regulation, handling, containment and disposal of biohazardous material.
POLICY
Mississippi State University will follow all current federal, state and local regulations/guidelines for the handling and containment of biohazardous material. This policy applies to all faculty, students, staff, visitors and contractors at Mississippi State University including the regional campuses, research stations and university field sites.
DEFINITIONS
a. Biohazardous materials: Any material of biologic origin that is potentially hazardous to humans, animals, plants and the environment including but not limited to:
i. Known pathogenic agents: bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites and prions.
ii. Nucleic acids used in genetic manipulations (recombinant DNA technology, synthetic biology).
iii. Cell lines: human or non-human primate derived; lines deliberately infected with a pathogen or exposed to a biologic toxin; any recombinant cell line.
iv. Animals including research and wild animals that are known or suspected to harbor pathogenic organisms.
v. Toxins of biologic origin.
vi. Plant materials including those that are known or suspected to harbor plant pathogens or plant pests; transgenic plants; and exotic plants.
vii. Animal materials including transgenic animals; blood, blood components, body fluids, tissues or organs from animals known or suspected to harbor pathogenic organisms.
viii. Human materials including human blood, blood components, body fluids, tissues or organs.
ix. Vectors including arthropods that are known or suspected to harbor pathogenic organisms.
x. Select agents are agents that have been determined by the federal government as being capable, if released, of causing a serious public health crisis or are high consequence agricultural pathogens. The select agent lists can be found in 42 CFR Part 73 (human and overlap), 7 CFR Part 331 (plant), and 9 CFR Part 121 (animal).
b. Containment refers to the safe work practices, equipment and facility design used to reduce or eliminate exposure of laboratory workers, other persons and the outside environment to potentially hazardous materials. Four biosafety levels (BSL) that describe increasing levels of containment are defined in the Centers for Disease Control's publication Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL).
c. Dual Use Research of Concern is research that can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, products or technologies that could be directly misapplied by others to pose a threat to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, or the environment.
PROCEDURE
Biosafety is monitored by two separate but related entities. (1) The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is a standing committee that reports to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development. The IBC is responsible for the review of all research projects using biohazardous materials including laboratory, animal and field studies. In addition, the IBC is responsible for formulating and recommending biosafety policies and establishing procedures for the handling of nonradioactive biohazardous waste; reviewing and advising with regard to situations that represent potential biological hazards including dual use research of concern; and reviewing research personnel, facilities, procedures and proposals involving biohazardous material.
The IBC is the only entity with the authority to review all proposed research involving biohazardous materials performed under the auspices of Mississippi State University. The IBC is authorized to create specific procedures that relate to the operation of the program. All research involving biohazardous material must be reviewed and approved by the IBC prior to initiation of the research. The IBC’s authority is granted by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development who is the Institutional Official. The IBC has the authority to act independently to bind all activities falling under their purview.
(2) Biological safety is represented by the biological safety officer (BSO) who is appointed by the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and is responsible for implementing university policies and procedures set forth by the IBC; monitoring compliance; reporting problems; investigating incidents; assisting laboratory directors and principal investigators in training of personnel; and providing technical advice on biosafety and biosecurity matters. The biosafety office also provides guidance in current biosafety practices to non-research related areas such as teaching and clinical laboratories.
A. IBC Oversight and Approval Any individual planning to (a) use microorganisms, biological toxins, or other materials which may pose a hazard to humans, animals, plants or the environment, for which biosafety level 2 or greater practices, techniques, equipment, or facilities are required or (b) employ recombinant DNA technology must not do so without prior IBC approval.
The Biosafety Office should be contacted prior to proposal submission or, in the case of non-funded research, prior to study initiation. All laboratories and animal facilities certified to be biosafety level 2 or above are to be inspected by the BSO on a periodic basis.
Individuals planning to obtain materials referenced above for which biosafety level 2 or greater practices, techniques, equipment, or facilities are required must contact the BSO prior to receipt of such materials.
B. Consequences of Noncompliance It is imperative that biosafety policies and procedures be strictly followed to ensure the safety of workers and to ensure compliance with government guidelines and regulations. Noncompliance may jeopardize the ability of the University to obtain federal funding or result in suspension of work of all federally funded research. Grantees and contractors must be prepared to demonstrate that proper standards have been put in place or practice.
REVIEW
This policy and procedure statement will be reviewed every four years or as needed by the BSO and IBC with recommendations for revision presented to the Director of Regulatory Compliance & Safety for review and transmission to the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Vice President for Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine.
OP 79.02
01/23/12
For information about this policy, contact the responsible/reviewing department hyperlinked above.
