Biosafety NIH Revisions – Effective Sept. 30, 2024
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has issued revisions to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (external link) as of April 2024 – these revisions will become effective on September 30, 2024. The revisions include:
- New requirements for conducting research involving Gene Drive Modified Organisms (GDMOs)
- Replacing the term “helper viruses” with the broader term “helper systems”
- Amending the Risk Group (RG) categorization of West Nile Virus (WNV) and Saint Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV) to RG2
More details about these revisions are available in the Federal Register Notice: Final Action Under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (external link).
The NIH Guidelines are used by the university’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) to review the use of biological materials and biohazards in research. More information about any changes to UMaine’s biosafety forms and/or policy resulting from these NIH revisions will be announced prior to the effective date.
If you have any questions regarding biosafety or the NIH revisions, please contact the IBC.