Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

Upcoming Federal Policy on Dangerous Gain of Function (DGOF) & International Research of Concern (IROC) (07/20/2026)

On July 20, 2026, the United States Government issued a new , to be implemented in early 2027. More guidance will be shared as the implementation date approaches.

Overview

In order to ensure all biosafety spaces are inspected and that the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) has a record of all biosafety work being conducted on campus, IBC registration is required for all labs (research and/or educational) using biological materials of any kind.

IBC protocol approval is required prior to the use of biohazards in research or teaching. Under 91르적 policy, ��쐀iohazard��� includes recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (including plants), biological materials/biospecimens (human and animal blood, bodily fluids, and/or tissues), infectious agents*, or select agents/toxins. (*91르적 has defined ��쐇nfectious agents��� as all bacterial, parasitic, fungal, viral, and prion, included within Class 2 or higher classes; see Appendix B of .)

For guidance on whether your biohazards work requires IBC or other approvals, view the IBC Registration and Protocol Submission Flow Chart: Diagram IBC Flow Chart (Word); Plain Text IBC Flow Chart (Word).

Questions regarding the IBC may be directed to umric@maine.edu.

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Contact for IBC Questions

umric@maine.edu