Overview
The Cambridge Biosafety Committee, hosted by the health department, issues permits for biological research and manufacturing that entails the use of recombinant or synthetic biological agents. The Committee also issues permits for traditional biological research that is conducted with Select Agents, any Risk Group 3 or 4 agent, or any agent requiring BSL-3 containment.
Permit Process
To receive a Laboratory Biosafety permit for research or manufacturing involving recombinant or synthetic materials or high-risk non-recombinant biological agents you must contact Sam Lipson, the Chair of Cambridge Biosafety Committee, at slipson@cambridgepublichealth.
Presentation
Every new applicant must present to the Cambridge Biosafety Committee. See presentation requirements.
Compliance
The Cambridge Biosafety Committee reviews and enforces permit holders’ compliance with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines, the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), local requirements, community representation on Institutional Biosafety Committees, and medical surveillance obligations.
Permits are issued year-round, and are renewed every January. The renewal process begins December 1 and the deadline is the last day of February.
Additional Resources:
- NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (April 2019)
- Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 6th Edition
- NIH Office of Science Policy: Biosafety and Biosecurity Policy
- NIH—FAQs on Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) Administration
- Laboratory Safety Monograph – A Supplement to the NIH Guidelines for Recombinant DNA Research, DHEW, January 1979