Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

Research Involving Biological Materials Required to be Reviewed and Approved by an Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

All research involving biological materials conducted at Saint Louis University or by SLU Faculty Principal Investigators at partner SSM hospitals must be reviewed and approved by the appropriate Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).  Each PI must review the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Policy and its companion Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Procedures and Principal Investigator (PI) Responsibilities. All PIs are responsible for being familiar with and following applicable requirements outlined in both documents, available on this web page and also in PolicyStat. 

1. Laboratories engaged in only clinical diagnosis and evaluation of patients are exempt from the IBC Policy.

2. There are currently three IBCs managed by SLU EHS biosafety staff. Details are summarized in the table below. All PIs and their study coordinators are expected to familiarize themselves with the distinctions and plan for their IBC Protocol submissions accordingly. All SLU and SSM IBC protocol submissions continue to be through the SLU eProtocol – eIBC software system.

For additional information, please contact the IBC manager (eIBC@slu.edu) or the biological safety officer (christopher.eickhoff@health.slu.edu) or 314-977-6888.

• Annual Laboratory Safety Training
• Laboratory-Specific Training Outline
• Annual Bloodborne Pathogen Training (if research involves work with HIV, HBV, HCV or human and nonhuman primate biological materials.)
• Shippers Training every two years (if biological agents will be transported on public roads or by air.)
• All laboratories working with biological materials must be inspected annually. The inspection form is provided here (PDF).
• For research requiring BSL-3 or ABSL-3 facilities, before beginning preparation of eIBC protocol, you must complete the training specified in Section C of Minimum Training and Experience Requirements for BSL-3/ABSL-3 Work with SARS-CoV-2 and Other High Risk Pathogens (PDF).
• Other specific training as applicable (e.g., BSL-3, Select Agent, etc.)

• SLU utilizes eIBC - powered by ePROTOCOL to create and submit biosafety protocols (Visit eibc.slu.edu.)
• The eIBC system functions well on Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox 10 or later, or Apple Safari 5.6.1. Pop-ups must be enabled.
• The eIBC system is open to all Saint Louis University investigators. To log in, use your SLU username and password.
• The eIBC dashboard will show all of the protocols on which you are listed as personnel. Personnel listed as Principle Investigator, Co-Investigator, Lab Supervisor or Study Coordinator can edit the protocol. Personnel listed under Other Personnel can only view the protocol.
• Individual training information should be attached (see Laboratory Training Record template).
• The eProtocol IBC Principal Investigator User Guide provides detailed instructions for creating, amending and cloning protocols. For further instruction, contact the IBC Manager at 314-977-6897 or eibc@slu.edu.

• It is expected the PI will complete the eIBC protocol with the same level of quality, attention to details and diligence (including timely submission) as their research deserves.
• When a new protocol is created, all questions must be answered and boxes filled in, or you will be unable to submit the protocol to the IBC for review.
• Post submission, protocols undergo pre-review by the IBC Coordinator and BSO.

• New protocols undergo full review by the committee. Amended protocols and annual reviews also undergo full committee review unless the changes are minor and do not significantly affect biosafety. In this case, the protocol will be assigned designated review by the IBC Manager for review and interim approval by the Biological Safety Officer (BSO) between meetings.
• After final approval by the IBC, eIBC protocols are active for five years and can be amended at any time by the PI.
• Protocols become nonactive the day after the five-year expiration, and all work on the project must cease. A 90-day, 60-day and 30-day expiration notice will be sent to the PI. A new or cloned protocol must be created, and the title of the protocol should contain the following: (Five-Year Renewal of Protocol #____-_____).
• Annual Continuing Review before the anniversary approval date of the protocol is required. A 30-day, seven-day and one-day request for review notice will be sent to the PI.
• eIBC Protocols must be submitted at least three weeks before the scheduled IBC meeting date for review. This is to ensure adequate time for pre-review and sufficient time for submission to the committee members for their review before the meeting.

• Wednesday, July 24, 2024
• Wednesday, August 28, 2024
• Wednesday, September 25, 2024
• Wednesday, October 23, 2024
• Wednesday, November 20, 2024
• Wednesday, December 18, 2024