UQ Institutional Biosafety Committee
The UQ Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) consists of:
- the main committee, which meets 3 times a year
- a subcommittee (IBSC), which meets approximately every 6 weeks.
The subcommittee assesses all proposals for dealing with genetically modified material, hazardous biological material or potentially infectious microorganisms.
Both committees are made up of:
- experts from throughout UQ on the many areas of biological research undertaken by UQ staff and students
- biological safety advisors to ensure compliance with legislative and UQ requirements
- an independent member to ensure an unbiased approach.
If you work with biological material or in areas where work with biological material is being undertaken, you need to be aware of and abide by the relevant legislation, standards, procedures and guidelines that apply to you and the work you're performing. Read the Biosafety Policy [2.40.01] for more information.
Subcommittee
Applications for approval
The subcommittee assesses all applications for dealing with genetically modified material, hazardous biological material and potentially infectious microorganisms.
Chief investigators must obtain appropriate approvals from the subcommittee before starting work.
To apply for approvals, follow the procedures for:
You must finalise your application 3 weeks before the next IBSC meeting date to guarantee it will be considered at that meeting.
Late submissions may be accepted at the IBSC Chair's discretion if there are extenuating circumstances.
Meeting dates and submission deadlines
| Meeting date | Submission deadline |
|---|---|
| 24 November 2020 | 30 October 2020 |
| 2 February 2021 | 8 January 2021 |
| 16 March 2021 | 19 February 2021 |
| 27 April 2021 | 1 April 2021 (Thursday COB) |
| 8 June 2021 | 14 May 2021 |
| 20 July 2021 | 25 June 2021 |
| 31 August 2021 | 6 August 2021 |
| 12 October 2021 | 17 September 2021 |
| 23 November 2021 | 29 October 2021 |
Members
| Name | Speciality | Organisational unit |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Professor Ulrike Kappler (Chair) | Metabolic pathways | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Associate Professor Bryan Fry (Deputy IBSC) | Evolution of venoms | School of Biological Sciences |
| Ms Sophie O'Neill (Secretary) | Biosafety Advisor | Health, Safety and Wellness Division |
| Dr Amanda Jones (IBC Secretary) | Lead Biosafety Advisor | Health, Safety and Wellness Division |
| Dr Victor Anggono | Neural biology | Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) |
| Dr Andrew Brooks | Cytokine Receptor Signalling | Translational Research Institute and Diamantina Institute |
| Professor Bernard Carroll | Plant biology | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Dr Clair Bolton | Independent member | |
| Associate Professor Rowland Cobbold | Veterinary public health/ Bacteriology/ Pathology | School of Veterinary Sciences |
| Associate Professor Elizabeth Aitken | Plant Pathology | School of Agriculture and Food Sciences |
| Professor Sassan Asgari | Insect host-pathogen interactions | School of Biological Sciences |
| Professor Ben Hankamer | Algae biotechnology | Institute for Molecular Bioscience |
| Dr Milos Tanurdzic | Plant development and genomics | School of Biological Sciences |
| Professor Ernst Wolvetang | Stem cell research | Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN) |
| Dr Nick West | Tuberculosis research | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Dr Timothy Wells | Bacteria/ Lung Infections | Translational Research Institute and Diamantina Institute |
Main committee
The UQ Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is required to ensure compliance with legislation, regulations and standards, including:
- Queensland Work Health and Safety Act 2011
- biosecurity legislation and regulations administered by the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and Biosecurity Queensland
- legislation and regulations administered by the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR), including OGTR guidelines for accreditation of organisations
- AS/NZS 2243.3:2010 Safety in laboratories, part 3: Microbiological safety and containment. Access this standard by searching the SAI Global database (UQ login required)
- the Security Sensitive Biological Agents (SSBA) Regulatory Scheme as part of National Health Security legislation
- Defence and Strategic Goods List (DSGL).
The UQ IBC also acts as liaison between UQ researchers and the:
- Department of Agriculture and Water Resources
- Office of the Gene Technology Regulator.
Meeting dates
- Wednesday 14 April 2021
- Tuesday 8 July 2021
- Wednesday 7 October 2021
Members
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Professor Ian Henderson (Chair) | Director, Institute for Molecular Bioscience |
| Mr Jim Carmichael (Deputy Chair) | Director, Health, Safety and Wellness Division |
| Dr Amanda Jones (Secretary) | Biosafety Advisor, Health, Safety and Wellness representative |
| Ms Sophie O'Neill (observer) | Biosafety Advisor |
| Mr Kerrin Henderson (observer) | Biosafety Advisor |
| Professor Joanne Meers | Veterinary Virology, School of Veterinary Science |
| Professor Jimmy Botella | Plant biotechnology, School Agricultural and Food Sciences |
| Associate Professor Ulrike Kappler | Chair, IBC Subcommittee, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Mr Kevin Wathen-Dunn | UQ-Biological Resources |
| Dr Amanda Dines | Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital |
| Mr Stewart Hobbs | Manager Engineering Services, Property and Facilities |
| Dr John Kopinski | Independent member, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries |
| Dr Tim Biffin | Veterinary Officer, Office of Research Ethics |
| Dr. Marc Kamke | Director, Research Ethics |
| Mr Hazem Gouda | Senior Mechanical Infrastructure Engineer, Property and Facilities |
Gatton Biosecurity Advisory Committee
The Gatton Biosecurity Advisory Committee specifically considers biosafety and biosecurity issues for the Gatton campus.
Gatton staff must still apply to the UQ Institutional Biosafety Subcommittee for approvals to work with genetically modified material and potentially hazardous biological material.