An Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) is an oversight committee that reviews research involving biohazards such as recombinant DNA, viral vectors, and certain gene therapy or cellular products.
IBC review focuses on containment measures, exposure risk, environmental controls, and biosafety procedures for staff and facilities. In studies involving advanced therapies, IBC oversight complements ethics review by addressing biosafety risk that may not be fully captured in clinical protocol review alone. Requirements often align with NIH Guidelines and institutional biosafety policies. Strong IBC governance supports safe handling practices and reduces biosafety-related operational risk.