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 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 |
|---|---|
| 4/02/2025 | 14/01/2025 |
| 18/03/2025 | 25/02/2025 |
| 29/04/2025 | 8/04/2025 |
| 10/06/2025 | 20/05/2025 |
| 22/07/2025 | 1/07/2025 |
| 2/09/2025 | 12/08/2025 |
| 14/10/2025 | 23/09/2025 |
| 25/11/2025 | 04/11/2025 |
Members
| Name | Speciality | Organisational unit |
|---|---|---|
| Associate Professor Bryan Fry (chair) | Evolution of venoms | School of Biological Sciences |
| Dr Timothy Wells (deputy chair) | Bacteria/ Lung Infections | Translational Research Institute and Diamantina Institute |
| Mrs Dulani Gamlaksha (Secretary) | Biosafety Advisor | Health, Safety and Wellness Division |
| Kerrin P Henderson (IBC Secretary) | (Acting) Senior Manager, Biosafety | Health, Safety and Wellness Division |
| Dr Victor Anggono | Neural biology | Queensland Brain Institute |
| Professor Sassan Asgari | Insect host-pathogen interactions | School of Biological Sciences |
| 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 Ulrike Kappler | Metabolic pathways | School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences |
| Associate Professor Katharina Ronacher | Bacterial and Viral Respiratory Pathogens | Mater Research Institute and Translational Research Institute |
| Professor Ernst Wolvetang | Stem cell research | Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology |
| Dr. Peter Crisp | Crop genomics, epigenomics, and molecular genetics | School of Agriculture and Food Sciences |
| Professor Michael Udvardi | Plant genomics, crop improvement, and molecular genetics | Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation |
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
- April 2024
- July 2024
- November 2024
Members
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Professor Ian Henderson (Chair) | Director, Institute for Molecular Bioscience |
| Mr Jim Carmichael (Deputy Chair) | Director, Health, Safety and Wellness Division |
| Kerrin P Henderson (Secretary) | (Acting) Senior Manager, Biosafety, Health, Safety and Wellness representative |
| Mrs Dulani Gamlaksha (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 Bryan Fry | Chair, IBC Subcommittee, School of Biological Sciences |
| Mr Kevin Wathen-Dunn | Director, UQ-Biological Resources |
| Dr Amanda Dines | Independent member, Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital |
| 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.