Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) were established under the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules to provide local review and oversight of nearly all forms of research utilizing recombinant DNA. Over time, many institutions have chosen to assign their IBCs the responsibility of reviewing a variety of experimentation that involves biological materials (e.g., infectious agents) and other potentially hazardous agents (e.g., carcinogens). This additional responsibility is assigned entirely at the discretion of the institution. (http://www4.od.nih.gov/oba/IBC/IBCrole.htm)