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 at least 2 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 |
|---|---|
| 15 October 2019 | 27 September 2019 |
| 26 November 2019 | 8 November 2019 |
| 28 January 2020 | 3 January 2020 |
| 3 March 2020 | 7 February 2020 |
| 14 April 2020 | 27 March 2020 |
| 26 May 2020 | 8 May 2020 |
| 7 July 2020 | 19 June 2020 |
| 25 August 2020 | 7 August 2020 |
| 6 October 2020 | 11 September 2020 |
| 24 November 2020 | 30 October 2020 |
Members
| Name | Speciality | Organisational unit |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Professor Ulrike Kappler (Chair) | Metabolic pathways | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Professor Elizabeth Aitken (Deputy Chair) | Plant pathology | School of Agriculture and Food Sciences |
| Ms Sophie O'Neill (Secretary) | Biosafety Advisor | Health, Safety and Wellness |
| Dr Amanda Jones | Lead Biosafety Advisor | Health, Safety and Wellness |
| Dr Victor Anggono | Neural biology | Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) |
| Professor Bernard Carroll | Plant biology | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Dr Rowland Cobbold | Veterinary public health | School of Veterinary Sciences |
| Associate Professor Bryan Fry | Evolution of venoms | School of Biological Sciences |
| Professor Roy Hall | Structure and function of flavivurses | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| 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) |
| Ms Susan Stephenson | Independent member | |
| Dr Nick West | Tuberculosis research | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
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 10 April 2019
- Tuesday 16 July 2019
- Wednesday 16 October 2019
Members
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Professor Alastair McEwan (Chair) | Dean, Graduate School / Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Training) |
| 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 |
| Dr Anthony Arklay | Health Services Directorate |
| 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 |
| Ms Nicole Makoviney | Director, Research Ethics |
| Mr Barry Yeo | Senior Mechanical 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.