Institutional Biosafety Committee

Location: Virtual

Time: 2pm

All protocols must be received by the 1st Tuesday of the month to be reviewed at the monthly meeting.

All meetings are subjected to change or cancellation. Contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office at 330-672-4347 or email compliance@kent.edu for questions or comments.

• January 27, 2026
• February 24, 2026
• March 24, 2026
• April 28, 2026
• May 26, 2026
• June TBD, 2026
• July TBD, 2026
• August TBD, 2026
• September TBD, 2026
• October TBD, 2026
• November TBD, 2026
• December TBD, 2026

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INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes – June 24, 2025
Teams Meeting
2:00 p.m.
Members Present: Adam Jajtner, Sarah Eichler, Kevin McCreary (joined the meeting between 2:28 p.m. and 2:40 p.m.), Aleisha Moore, Ekaterina Semenyuk (Biosafety Officer), Richard Piet, Stanley Dannemiller, Carolyn Apperson (Local Unaffiliated), Colleen Karlo (Local Unaffiliated).
Members Not Present: Donald Gerbig, Christopher Woolverton.
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 2:11 p.m.
Conflict of Interest: Dr. Piet left the meeting during discussion of his protocol #985.
MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:
The May 2025 meeting’s minutes were approved as presented.
Motion: Approve.
For:4
Against:0
Abstain:4
COMMITTEE BUSINESS:
IBC #985 Investigating the circadian regulation of the brain circuits that control ovulation in the mouse (renewal)
PI Dr. Piet
Applicable NIH Guidelines: Section III-D
Primary Reviewer Adam Jajtner
Overview
The purpose of the research is to functionally and anatomically map specific inputs to populations of neurons in the hypothalamus that control fertility by using adeno-associated viral (AAVs) vectors, which carry a transgene encoding for a light-sensitive cation channel enabling activation of specific neuronal populations with light, or a transgene encoding for a fusion protein that enables us to visualize synapses.
Discussion The committee discussed decontamination of the Hamilton syringes used for the stereotactic injections of AAV conducted under IBC protocols #985 and #1963.
Contingencies
Institutional Biosafety Committee Meeting Minutes – 8/27/24
The Committee requested revisions to the decontamination procedure for the Hamilton syringe in this protocol and in protocol #1963. Since ethanol alone is not effective for AAV decontamination, the syringe and needle should first be flushed with 10% bleach, followed by 70% ethanol and then water.
Motion: Grant approval to use RG1 agent at BSL1 pending amendment of the syringe decontamination procedure by the laboratory.
For:8
Against:0
Abstain:0
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
The Committee discussed updates to current IBC policies, including:
-The need for umbrella protocols to cover laboratories conducting multiple research projects.
-A decision tree to help Principal Investigators determine whether a project requires IBC review.
-A new continuing review process that will differ from the current renewal procedure.
-A revised document package, which will be presented for IBC review and approval at the next meeting.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 2:58 p.m.

INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes – July 22, 2025
Teams Meeting
2:00 p.m.
Members Present: Adam Jajtner (Chair), Sarah Eichler, Kevin McCreary, Aleisha Moore, Ekaterina Semenyuk (Biosafety Officer), Richard Piet, Stanley Dannemiller, Rocco Petrozzi, Carolyn Apperson (Local Unaffiliated), Colleen Karlo (Local Unaffiliated).
Members Not Present: Donald Gerbig, Christopher Woolverton, John Johnson.
Guests: Heidi Page (alternate - ex officio, non-voting Biosafety Officer); Sean Giblin (KSU EHS representative); Tim Styranec (EHS Director).
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 2:02 p.m.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared.
MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:
The June 2025 meeting’s minutes were approved pending correction of the typos.
Motion: Approve.
For:9
Against:0
Abstain:1
COMMITTEE BUSINESS:
IBC #1490 Targeting Promoter G-quadruplexes with CRISPR-dCas9 for Transcription Regulation and Telomere Protection (amendment).
PI Dr.Balci
Applicable NIH Guidelines: Section III-E
Primary Reviewer Adam Jajtner
Overview
The purpose of this amendment is to introduce a new recombinant vector for the transduction of mammalian cells, enabling expression, harvesting, and purification of the TERT protein. The vector is a third-generation lentiviral vector; however, the process and cell line to be used will exclude the possibility of generating viral particles.
Discussion 

The committee reviewed how the current laboratory safety controls align with a new project. The laboratory previously received BSL2 approval, but previous research conducted there fell into the exempt category.
Motion: Table protocol pending laboratory inspection.
For:10
Against:0
Abstain:0
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
-Heidi Page presented refresher training on NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant and Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules.
-BSO presented the updated KSU IBC Charter and Decision Tree to assist Principal Investigators in determining whether a project needs IBC review. The Committee discussed revisions to IBC operations and protocol review policy.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:11 p.m.

INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes – August 26, 2025
Teams Meeting
2:00 p.m.
Members Present: Adam Jajtner (Chair), Kevin McCreary, John Johnson, Ekaterina Semenyuk (Biosafety Officer), Richard Piet, Stanley Dannemiller, Rocco Petrozzi, Carolyn Apperson (Local Unaffiliated), Colleen Karlo (Local Unaffiliated).
Members Not Present: Donald Gerbig, Christopher Woolverton, Sarah Eichler, Aleisha Moore.
Guests: Heidi Page (alternate - ex officio, non-voting Biosafety Officer); Sean Giblin (KSU EHS representative); Michelle Kane-Sutton (Lab Manager); Tim Styranec (EHS Director), Sarah Pfeiffer.
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 2:05 p.m.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared.
MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:
The July 2025 meeting’s minutes were approved pending correction of the typos.
Motion: Approve.
For:8
Against:0
Abstain:1
COMMITTEE BUSINESS:
IBC #1490 Targeting Promoter G-quadruplexes with CRISPR-dCas9 for Transcription Regulation and Telomere Protection (amendment, previously tabled).
PI Dr. Balci
Applicable NIH Guidelines: Section III-E
Primary Reviewer Adam Jajtner
Overview
The purpose of this amendment is to introduce a new recombinant vector for the transduction of mammalian cells, enabling expression, harvesting, and purification of the TERT protein. The vector is a third-generation lentiviral vector; however, the process and cell line to be used will exclude the possibility of generating viral particles.
Discussion The Committee discussed results of the biosafety inspection of the Dr. Balci’s lab.
Institutional Biosafety Committee Meeting Minutes – 8/27/24
Motion: Grant approval with contingencies to use RG2 agents at BSL2.
Contingencies: Address two remaining reviewer's comments regarding exposure to biological materials and presence of the biohazardous materials in the laboratory.
For:9
Against:0
Abstain:0
IBC: #2091 Defining cell populations that control fertility via retrograde monosynaptic tract tracing (renewal)
PI Dr. Moore
Applicable NIH Guidelines: Section III-D.
Primary Reviewer John Johnson
Overview The study uses monosynaptic retrograde tracing techniques to identify the synaptic inputs upstream of hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons, which regulate fertility to examine how these inputs might change in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome.
Discussion The Committee reviewed containment measures for using recombinant viral vectors in this study including the need for a Biosafety Cabinet during injections.
Motion Grant approval to use RG2 agent at BSL2.
For:9
Against:0
Abstain:0
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- The BSO presented results of the biosafety inspections of three laboratories requested earlier by the IBC. No concerns about the work being done in these research spaces were reported.
- The BSO informed the Committee about three administratively approved protocols: 1) #2087 Influence of plasma volume on blood flow turbulence (PI Dr. McDaniel). The protocol involves the collection of urine samples from healthy donors. Approved at BSL1.
2) # 2035 The Effects of Cold Water Immersion Timing on Athletic Performance and Recovery in Females (PI Dr. Jajtner) The protocol involves the collection of blood samples from healthy donors. Approved at BSL2.
3) #1549 Investigating GABAergic regulation of KNDy neurons in a mouse model of PCOS (amendment) (PI Dr. Moore). Amendment includes changes in personnel, addition of new vectors and does not significantly alter the scope, biosafety level, or risk assessment of the original protocol. Approved at BSL1.
-The Committee discussed revisions to IBC operations and protocol review policy.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:11 p.m.

INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes – September 23, 2025
Teams Meeting
2:00 p.m.
Members Present: Adam Jajtner (Chair), Kevin McCreary, John Johnson, Richard Piet, Stanley Dannemiller, Rocco Petrozzi, Sarah Eichler, Colleen Karlo (Local Unaffiliated).
Members Not Present: Donald Gerbig, Christopher Woolverton, Aleisha Moore, Ekaterina Semenyuk, Carolyn Apperson.
Guests: Heidi Page (alternate - ex officio, non-voting Biosafety Officer); Michelle Kane-Sutton (Lab Manager); Tim Styranec (EHS Director).
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 2:00 p.m.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared.
MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:
The July 2025 meeting’s minutes were approved pending addition of the containment level.
Motion: Approve.
For:7
Against:0
Abstain:1
COMMITTEE BUSINESS:
No protocols to review
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
1. BSO report
-Biosafety inspection report:
-Administratively approved protocol (#2140 Synthetic extracellular matrix). Approved at BSL2.
-Announcement of a new NIH effort to modernize and strengthen biosafety policies. – weblink to the Region 1 Listening session will be forwarded to the Committee members.
2. Approval of the new policies and procedures documents for the IBC.
2.1 The Committee discussed the protocol approval period and need for annual updates.
Motion: Extend the approval period to 3 years with annual updates.
For:8
Against:0
Abstain:0
2.2 The Committee suggested the following changes to the new charter:
- Change term length from 2 years to 1 year.
- State that the IBC “meets once a month” without mentioning a specific day.
- Specify that the lab representative is recommended, not required.
- Remove comments related to DURC.
- Remove “biological material” from the Non-Compliance Section.
2.3 Motion: Limit the scope of the KSU IBC review to the recombinant and syntenic nucleic acids.
For:8
Against:0
Abstain:0
3. Risk assessment training for the IBC members was moved to the next meeting (October, 2025)
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 3:00 p.m.

INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes – October 28, 2025
Teams Meeting 
2:00 p.m.

Members Present:    Adam Jajtner (Chair), Kevin McCreary, John Johnson, Richard Piet, Rocco Petrozzi, Christopher Woolverton, Colleen Karlo (Local Unaffiliated), Ekaterina Semenyuk (BSO).

Members Not Present:   Donald Gerbig, Aleisha Moore, Carolyn Apperson, Stanley Dannemiller.

Guests: Sarah Eichler, Heidi Page (alternate - ex officio, non-voting Biosafety Officer); Michelle Kane-Sutton (Lab Manager); Jean Engohang-Ndong.

CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 2:02 p.m.

Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared.

MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:

The September 2025 meeting’s minutes were approved.
Motion: Approve.
For:7
Against:0
Abstain:1

COMMITTEE BUSINESS:

No protocols to review

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

1.    BSO report
Administratively approved protocol amendments (# 985,1963,1549, 2091).
                                                                         
2.    Approval of the new IBC policy. Discussion about the term of service for the IBC Chair.

2.1 Motion: Approve the new IBC policy document.
For:8
Against:0
Abstain:0
The Committee recommended creating a concise version of the new policy for Principal Investigators.

2.2 Committee discussed the possibility of removal of the term of service for the IBC Chair from the policy. 
Motion: Amend the IBC policy to remove term of service for the IBC Chair. 
For:8
Against:0
Abstain:0

ADJOURNMENT:

The meeting was adjourned at 2:22 p.m., followed by the Risk Assessment training. 

 Institutional Biosafety Committee Meeting Minutes – 11/25/25
Page 1 of 2

INSTITUTIONAL BIOSAFETY COMMITTEE
Meeting Minutes – November 25, 2025
Teams Meeting
2:00 p.m.
Members Present: Adam Jajtner (Chair), Sarah Eichler, Kevin McCreary, John Johnson, Richard Piet, Rocco Petrozzi, Christopher Woolverton, Stanley Dannemiller, Colleen Karlo (Local Unaffiliated), Ekaterina Semenyuk (BSO).
Members Not Present: Donald Gerbig, Aleisha Moore (was present for the small part of the meeting), Carolyn Apperson.
Guests: Heidi Page (alternate - ex officio, non-voting Biosafety Officer); Michelle Kane-Sutton (Lab Manager); Sean Giblin (EHS).
CALL TO ORDER:
The meeting was called to order at 2:01 p.m.
Conflict of Interest: No conflict of interest was declared.
MEETING MINUTES APPROVAL:
The October 2025 meeting’s minutes were approved.
Motion: Approve.
For: 9
Against:0
Abstain:1
COMMITTEE BUSINESS:
#2217 Investigation of Key Protein Sequence Features for the Recognition of m6A and m5C RNA Nucleotide Modifications (new)
PI Dr. Abeysirigunawardena
Applicable NIH Guidelines: Section III-E
Primary Reviewer Dr. Piet
Overview
In this project, phage display is used to identify peptide sequences that preferably bind to m5C-modified RNA and their unmodified RNA counterparts. Several RNA-binding proteins will be overexpressed in E. coli BL21(DE3), purified and used in assays.
Discussion
The Committee discussed the project's scope and identified several questions that have not been addressed during the initial review. Since this project requires notifying the IBC upon initiation, the Committee insisted that the protocol be returned to the PI to address all deficiencies.
The Committee was also updated on the implementation of the pest control program at KSU.
Motion: Table
For: 10
Against:0
Abstain:0
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Discussion of Biological Materials Registration Form
The BSO has introduced a new Biological Materials Registration Form developed by Azelia Labs in collaboration with KSU EHS. The purpose of this form is to gather information regarding the use of biological materials by research and teaching laboratories outside the Department of Biological Sciences. The Committee members suggested that the content and implementation of the form be discussed with the laboratory managers from various departments, including Physics, Anthropology, Chemistry, and Psychology.
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting was adjourned at 2:58.