Overview

The Howard T. Ricketts facility is designed, managed, and operated to protect laboratory workers and the surrounding community from accidental exposure to any infectious agents. The Ricketts Lab provides needed biocontainment space to researchers and promotes the advancement of knowledge in the disciplines of biodefense and emerging infectious diseases.

For more information, visit the University of Chicago Office of Research Safety webpage.

Research

All research that is conducted at the HTRL is regulated by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). The IBC is charged with the responsibility for review, approval and surveillance of all research protocols at the University of Chicago involving the use of biohazardous materials including recombinant DNA, agents infectious to humans, animals or plants, and other genetically altered organisms and agents. Visit the Institutional Biosafety Committee webpage for more information.

IACUC

The Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is a self-regulating entity that, according to U.S. federal law, must be established by institutions that use laboratory animals for research or instructional purposes to oversee and evaluate all aspects of the institution’s animal care and use program.