Institutional Biosafety Committee
The MSU Institutional Biosafety Committee acts as the institutional review body for all research activities involving the use of recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules as required and outlined in the National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines). The primary charge of the IBC was to review the research proposals using the NIH Guidelines as a minimum standard. The purpose of the NIH Guidelines and the IBC review process was to provide researchers with guidance for conducting these studies in a manner that minimized exposure risk for research personnel and the environment at large. As a part of this review, the committee must determine if the Principal Investigator has set the appropriate biosafety level (BSL), evaluate the category of review, methods to be used in the research projects, training records for personnel involved, and other aspects of the project.
Over the years, the role of IBCs in the university setting has expanded to include areas such as research use of human and animal cells, infectious agents, select agents, and toxins. The role continues to increase as research evolves to include dual use, stem cells, and more complicated BSL-2 projects.
The MSU Institutional Biosafety Committee membership and mission has been revised to meet the changing needs of the MSU research community. In addition to recombinant DNA reviews, the committee may provide guidance and assistance on matters such as animal and plant research containment facilities, use of infectious agents, accreditation issues, and emergency response.
The IBC meets on a monthly basis to discuss and review current projects. These meetings are open to the public. If you would like to attend a meeting, contact the BSO.
Institutional Biosafety Committee Roster
| Name | IBC Role | Title | Additional Info |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carrie Anglewicz | Community Representative Member | Biosafety Officer, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Bureau of Laboratories | Carrie’s focus is on enhancing laboratory safety in public health and clinical laboratories in Michigan with an emphasis on preparing for novel epidemics/pandemics. Carrie has also consulted with several university laboratories to prevent laboratory acquired infections. |
| Michael H. Bachmann | Member | Associate Professor, MSU Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics | Bio |
| Michael Brown | Ex-Officio Member | University Physician, MSU | Bio |
| Hans Cheng | Member | Supervisory Research Geneticist, USDA Avian Disease & Oncology Laboratory | Bio |
| Elena Demireva | IBC Chair | Co-director of MSU’s Transgenic and Genome Editing Facility (TGEF) | Bio |
| Kevin Eisenbeis | Ex-Officio Member | Director, MSU Environmental Health and Safety | |
| Sarah Godbehere Roosa | Lab Representative Member, IBC Vice Chair | Research Technologist II, MSU Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics | Sarah is a Research Technician in the Amalfitano lab where they study the host-vector innate and adaptive immune responses to adenovirus. They use adenovirus as a gene transfer vector in the development of vaccines for malaria and HIV as well as understanding the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis. Bio |
| Jonathan Hardy | Member | Associate Professor, MSU Department of Microbiology & Molecular Genetics | Bio |
| Theresa Kelley | Ex-Officio Member | Senior Associate General Counsel, MSU Office of the General Counsel | Bio |
| Judith Kloss Smith | Community Representative Member | Laboratory Scientist Specialist, Michigan Department of Community Health, Bureau of Laboratories | Ms. Smith's responsibilities include leading the laboratories Health and Safety program in addition to serving as the Responsible Official for the Tier 1 Select Agent and Toxin Program. In this capacity she has oversight for the laboratories' biosafety, biosecurity, chemical and radiological safety. |
| András Komáromy | Member | Associate Professor, MSU Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences | Bio |
| Laura McCabe | Ex-Officio Member | Assistant Vice President, MSU Office of Research Regulatory Support | |
| David G. Morgan | Member | Director, MSU Alzheimer’s Alliance MSU Foundation Professor of Translational Neuroscience |
Bio |
| L. Karl Olson | Member | Associate Professor, MSU Department of Physiology | Bio |
| Simon Petersen-Jones | Member | Professor, MSU Small Animal Clinical Sciences Myers- Dunlap Endowed Chair in Canine Health |
Bio |
| Guo-qing Song | Member | Associate Professor, MSU Department of Horticulture Associate Director, Plant Biotechnology Resource & Outreach Center |
Bio |
| Alexa Veenema | Member | Associate Professor in Behavioral Neuroscience, MSU Department of Psychology |
Bio |
| Jamie Sue Willard | Member | MSU Biological Safety Officer MSU Select Agent Responsible Official |
Dr. Willard, in conjunction with other EHS Bioteam members, specializes in biosafety and biosecurity for the MSU campus at large. In terms of recombinant DNA research, she and her team review all registrations to determine adequacy of containment and other biosafety/biosecurity related concerns including training, inspections and exposure response. Bio |