Institutional biosafety

In order to protect the health and safety of Australia and the Australian environment, The Gene Technology Act 2001, regulates the use of genetically modified organisms in Australia by identifying risks posed by or as a result of gene technology, and to manage those risks by regulating certain dealings with genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Amongst other things, this national Act "prohibits persons from dealing with GMOs (e.g. research, manufacture, production, commercial release and import) unless the dealing is authorised in accordance with the Act". This covers any experiment involving the construction and/or propagation of viruses, prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or organisms of novel genotype as a result of genetic manipulation which are either unlikely to occur in nature or likely to pose biosafety risks to the environment or human health and safety.

Any researcher planning work in this area MUST submit an application describing the project, regardless of whether he/she personally considers the work safe and/or exempt, to the Royal North Shore Hospital Institutional Biosafety Committee (RNSH IBC). The RNSH IBC is answerable to the Office of the Gene Technology Regulator, Canberra, and is empowered to recommend exemption from the guidelines.

Work must not commence without IBC approval. There are significant sanctions imposed on non-compliance including the thre at of fines and/or imprisonment for the individual researcher.