The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) has issued updated guidance following the NIH Office of Science Policy’s (OSP) downgrade of SARS-CoV-2 from Risk Group 3 (RG3) to Risk Group 2 (RG2). This guidance outlines revised biosafety containment and procedural requirements for SARS-CoV-2 research at UCLA.
Key Updates:
- BSL-2+ containment is now required for all in vitro work involving SARS-CoV-2, with specific enhanced biosafety practices.
- ABSL-2 containment is required for in vivo SARS-CoV-2 studies, with specific respiratory protection, containment, and procedural requirements.
- Patient and environmental SARS-CoV-2 samples continue to be handled at BSL-2; no changes to existing approvals or protocols are needed.
- Research laboratories must submit a Biological Use Authorization (BUA) amendment to request a containment change for SARS-CoV-2 research. All previous containment practices remain in effect until formally reviewed and approved by the IBC.
Required Actions for Researchers:
- Review the full IBC guidance document (attached) to ensure compliance with updated biosafety measures.
- Submit a BUA amendment if requesting a containment level adjustment for SARS-CoV-2 research.
For questions, contact the IBC at IBC@research.ucla.edu or the Biosafety Office at biosafety@ehs.ucla.edu.