Biosafety

UMass Amherst has an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) as part of Research Administration and Compliance that is a university-wide review body that provides oversight over university operations and activities of a potentially biologically hazardous nature, in compliance with the latest version of the following:

• NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (April 2024)
• Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) (6th Edition, November 2020)

The committee schedules monthly meetings and meets at least four times a year. Questions as to whether a material is a potential biohazard should be directed to the EHS Biosafety Officer at @email.

IBC protocols are submitted through Kuali Research. Learn more about what requires a protocol here.

UMass Amherst Research Administration & Compliance:

• UMass Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) - information about working with animal subjects, required trainings, and enrollment in the Animal Occupational Health Program.
• UMass Amherst Human Research Protection Office - information about working with human subjects.

Permits to Work with Pathogen, Toxins, and/or Organisms

Certain animal pathogens and related biological materials used for research purposes may require a USDA or CDC permit for import to the United States or transfer to UMass Amherst.

Animal & Plant Pathogens and Pests and Genetically Modified Organisms

• Plant Protection & Quarantine - import or interstate transport of plant pests, pathogens, and soil
• Veterinary Services- interstate transport of animal pathogens or pests
• Biotechnology Regulatory Services- import, interstate transport, and environmental release of genetically modified organisms
• Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, US Department of Agriculture

Human Pathogens or Biological Toxins

• Import Permits for Etiologic Agents - required for any infectious agent known to cause disease in humans. This includes, but is not limited to, bacteria, viruses, rickettsia, parasites, yeasts, molds, and prions. In some instances, agents which are suspected of causing human disease also require a permit.

UMass Amherst

• Material Transfer Agreements - this contract governs the transfer of materials to and from the university for research purposes
• Permit Assistance, available through Research Administration & Compliance

In 1988, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution to eradicate polio, leading to the establishment of the Global Eradication Initiative (GPEI). As a result of this initiative, polio cases have decreased by more than 99% globally. 

UMass Amherst is committed to this initiative, by minimizing the risk related to poliovirus in educational and research facilities subsequent to the eradication of wild polioviruses and the cessation of oral polio vaccine use. Identifying all laboratory samples at risk for containing poliovirus is essential for securing a polio-free world. 

Poliovirus (PV) and potentially infectious materials (PIM) include human respiratory secretions, fecal specimens, or untreated environmental surface water samples collected for non-polio related work in a time and place where wild poliovirus (WPV) or vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) was circulating or where oral polio vaccine (OPV) was in use. Historical domestic and international specimens are more likely to fall into these categories. 

Additionally, PIM cultured in some common cell lines in order to isolate other viruses of interest may have unintentionally amplified poliovirus, so respiratory or enteric viral isolates obtained from PIM specimens using any of these cell lines are also considered PIM.

Resources:

US National Authority for Containment of Poliovirus

WHO Global Action Plan (GAPIII)

See the biological waste page for additional information on autoclave requirements and handling of other biological waste.