Biosafety
Overview
The USF Biosafety Program oversees the possession, use and storage of various infectious agents, recombinant deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA), biological toxins, and select agents/toxins (commonly known as biohazardous materials) in a research and/or teaching environment.
Training Requirements for Researchers
Training in proper microbiological techniques is required for anyone working with recombinant DNA, infectious agents, select agents, and biological toxins or who works in a laboratory where these materials are used/stored. The assurance of proper training is the responsibility of the Principal Investigator (PI) or laboratory supervisor of the facility in which the hazard is used.
If you are a Principal Investigator (PI) at USF who possess or plans to possess, store, work with, or transport infectious agent(s), biological toxin(s), select agent(s)/toxin(s), and/or recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules, you must register them with USF’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).
| Submission Deadline | Scheduled Meeting |
|---|---|
| January 8, 2024 | January 16, 2024 |
| February 12, 2024 | February 20, 2024 |
| March 11, 2024 | March 19, 2024 |
| April 8, 2024 | April 16, 2024 |
| May 13, 2024 | May 21, 2024 |
| June 10, 2024 | June 18, 2024 |
| July 8, 2024 | July 16, 2024 |
| August 12, 2024 | August 20, 2024 |
| September 9, 2024 | September 17, 2024 |
| October 7, 2024 | October 22, 2024 (Rescheduled due to campus closure for Hurricane Milton) |
| November 11, 2024 | November 19, 2024 |
| December 2, 2024 | December 10, 2024 |
| Submission Deadline | Scheduled Meetings |
|---|---|
| January 13, 2025 | January 21, 2025 |
| February 17, 2025 | February 18, 2025 |
| March 10, 2025 | March 18, 2025 |
| April 7, 2025 | April 15, 2025 |
| May 12, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
| June 9, 2025 | June 17, 2025 |
| June 30, 2025 | July 15, 2025 |
| August 11, 2025 | August 19, 2025 |
| September 8, 2025 | September 16, 2025 |
| October 13, 2025 | October 21, 2025 |
| November 10, 2025 | November 18, 2025 |
| December 1, 2025 | December 9, 2025 |
Submission Deadlines to Research Integrity & Compliance: These are the dates by which the protocol must be submitted in BiosafetyNet to be placed on that month’s meeting agenda.
USF’s Institutional Biosafety Committee provides oversight and evaluation of research and laboratories that use biohazardous materials at USF and affiliated institutions to ensure they comply with USF IBC policy, University policy, CDC guidelines, NIH guidelines, and federal regulations , , and for select agents.
Please direct questions and comments to the Biosafety Program or Debra Howeth, telephone (813) 974-5091, fax (813) 974-7091.