This web site is designed for investigators and Biosafety officers at Harvard University and its affiliated institutions.

Biosafety concerns itself with protecting staff, patients, the public and the environment from dangerous biologicals.

Bioterrorism Links

Basic Information

Biosafety at Harvard and thirteen Affiliated Insitutions is regulated by a standing faculty committee called the Committee on Microbiological Safety (COMS). The committee meets once a month, usually on the last Friday of each month. Information about the role of this committee can be found in the What, Where, Who section of this site.

For Investigators

Investigators must register studies involving recombinant DNA, agents pathogenic for animals, including humans, plants, and biological toxins, human blood and tissues including human cell lines, and two kinds of human studies - those involving gene transfer and those involving the transplantation of animal tissues into humans. Registration forms are available in the Forms section of this site. All submissions must be through your local Biosafety Officer. You can find out your Biosafety officer's name, address, fax number here.

For Biosafety Officers

Links to some relevant government documents, Internet sites, some material on disinfectants are all on the Resources section of this site.