US federal oversight of biological materials and the IBC

This chapter will give a thorough overview of the laws and guidelines regulating research use of biological materials in the United States and how Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBC) came to be tasked with providing oversight for these activities. The anthrax attacks after 9/11 demonstrated that information gained from life science research can be used to threaten national security and public health. Since these attacks, the public has demanded increased oversight of research. IBC oversight falls under the National Institutes of Health Guidelines. Over the years, other federal agencies have increased the demands on the IBC by promulgating new legislation and regulations. The following agencies play a role in regulating research: National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, National Research Council, National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Human and Health Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Department of Justice.