Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
The Cornell IBC is the institutional body responsible for oversight of all research and teaching activities involved with biohazardous materials as required by the National Institutes of Health Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules (NIH Guidelines) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL).
All RESEACHERS must secure IBC approval for their activities with rDNA and biohazardous materials by submitting a Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA) with the IBC. The MUA is filed through an electronic submission site (e-MUA) and covers rDNA or biohazardous materials. Research at Biosafety Level -3 requires a separate application.
Uses of rDNA or Biohazardous materials include:
- transgenic plants or animals
- infectious organisms (bacteria, fungi, parasites, prions, rickettsias, viruses, yeasts, etc.) which can cause disease in humans and animals
- human or non-human-primate materials (body fluids, tissues, cell lines, etc.)
- biotoxins
- select agents
- investigational live, recombinant or attenuated virus strains
- plant pathogens
Start/Submit/Open an Existing Memorandum of Understanding and Agreement (MUA) e-MUA
Biosafety Level -3 application
e-MUA Help line – 607-255-7219
Contact Information
IBC - ORIA
395 Pine Tree Road, Suite 320
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14850
t. 607-255-7219
f. 607-255-0758
e. cu_ibc@cornell.edu