Any activities conducted by personnel or students at Louisiana Tech University which may cause harm to humans, other animals or to plants must be approved by the Louisiana Tech University Biosafety and Radioisotope Institutional Review Committee. These activities include:

1.    Purchase, storage, use, and disposal of recombinant DNA, including transgenic animals or plants;
2.    Purchase, storage, use, and disposal of microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, parasites or  fungi) that are potentially infectious to humans, other animals, or plants;
3.    Purchase, storage, use, and disposal of biological toxins;
4.    Purchase, storage, use, and disposal of human and other mammalian tissue, including blood and other body fluids;
5.    Purchase, use, storage, and disposal  of radionuclides
6.    Purchase, use, storage, and disposal of pesticides or herbicides.
7.    Purchase, storage, use and disposal of euthanizing agents
8.    Purchase, storage, production and/or the use, and disposal of nanoparticles;
9.    Field release of plant pest or genetically modified organisms.

This Committee must verify that all personnel involved with these activities will adhere to the appropriate federal, state, and local regulations, are trained in the proper use of these agents, that all hazards associated with these uses have been identified, and that these hazards will be controlled and monitored.  The Committee must also be assured that these activities are conducted with appropriate safe guards to prohibit environmental release and that all personnel, including students and members of the community are protected from these agents.

Under no circumstances should any of these agents be purchased, produced, stored, used or disposed of for any university activity without approval of the BRIRC.

For more information contact, Cathy Sly at 257-4771 or csly@latech.edu. Forms should be routed to Mrs. Sly in University Research (csly@latech.edu) to expedite approval. Questions related to the review can be directed to Les Guice at 257-3056.