How to Create an IBC Registration using PIERS

• This tutorial is for Researchers.

• In this tutorial, you will learn:

• How to login to the Online IBC System (Slide 2)

• How to initiate a new IBC registration (Slides 3 – 7)

• How to find your IBC number (Slide 8)

• How to delegate editing privileges to a lab member (Slides 14 – 17)

• How to fill out the IBC registration (Slides 4 – 37)

• How to submit the IBC registration for pre-review (Slides 35 – 37)

• How to make modifications after pre-review (Slides 38 – 42)

• How to certify the registration (Slides 43 – 44)

Navigate to the online IBC system: https://apps.research.upenn.edu/login. To log in, click on

the “Login with PennKey” button and enter your PennKey and password. Two-factor

authentication is required.

Click here to login

To initiate a new registration, hover over the “IBC” button (1). Click “IBC New Registration”

from the drop-down menu (2).

1. Hover over the “IBC” button

2. Click “IBC New Registration”

On the “Initial IBC Registration” page, provide a unique and detailed title. Fill in the PI box with

the PI’s name. Click the “This registration will involve” box to view the drop-down menu.

Click here to view the drop-down menu

From the drop-down menu, select what the registration will involve. Choose "Creating Transgenic Animals" when registering

the creation of transgenic mice. Choose "Crossing and/or Using Transgenic Animals" when registering crossing mice at ABSL-2

or higher containment OR when creating, crossing, or using transgenic flies, worms, or ants. Choose "Generating and/or Using

rsNA Materials" when registering viral vectors, CRISPR/Cas9, or mRNA-LNP. Choose "Generating and/or Using Transgenic

Plants" when registering the creation, crossing, or use of transgenic plants.

Select what the registration

will involve from the menu

Because “Generating and/or Using rsNA materials” was chosen, the “rsNA” box has appeared. Click on the “rsNA”

box to choose what material will be used. Scroll down to view the “Other” material which includes Naked

DNA/RNA, Plasmid, Modified Microorganism, Modified Cells, and Other. If you choose “Other” below the “Other”

material option, you will be asked to describe the material in an additional box.

Enter the name of the Biosafety Officer with whom you are working (1). If you are not yet

working with a Biosafety Officer, you may leave it blank. Click the “Continue” button to

continue filling out the registration form (2).

1. Enter name of a Biosafety Officer

2. Click here to continue

The new registration has been created. Notice the “Panel shortcuts” on the left. This panel

will help you navigate the form. Also notice that a new IBC number has been generated.

Your new IBC number

Continue filling out the “Project Information” section by providing a Detailed Project

Description.

Provide a detailed

project description

Below the project description box, click “Add Lab Location” to add the location of your lab

where this work will occur.

Click here to add lab location

The “Lab Location” box will pop up. Start typing the lab location in the “Building” box (1) and

choose the correct building from the drop-down menu (2).

1. Start typing building name here

2. Choose the correct building from menu

Enter the room number in the “Room #” box (1). Click the “Save” button (2).

1. Enter room number here

2. Click Save

The lab location has been added. If necessary, you may add additional lab locations.

Scroll down or click on the “Personnel” link in the panel shortcuts to navigate to the

“Personnel” section. The PI is automatically listed as personnel. To add additional personnel,

click on the “Add Project Personnel” button.

Click here to add personnel

The “Project Personnel” box will pop up. Add the personnel affiliation by clicking the

appropriate circle (“University of Pennsylvania” for Penn people or “Other” for everyone

outside of the university).

Choose University Affiliation

If you choose “University of Pennsylvania”, the “Personnel name” box will appear. Start typing

the name using the person’s PennKey/email address.

Enter PennKey here

Choose the appropriate name. Click the “Edit permission” box if you wish to give this person

editing permission (1). Click the “Save” button to add the person to the personnel list (2).

1. Grant editing permission here

2. Click Save

If the person is not affiliated with Penn, click “Other” (1). The “Project Personnel” box will

expand. Fill out the required information (2) before clicking the “Save” button (3) at the end

of the form to add the person.

1. Click here if person is not affiliated with Penn

2. Fill out

required

information

3. Click

Save

Required training (Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Guidelines) is automatically checked

for Penn affiliated personnel. All people handling the material should be listed as project

personnel.

Status of required training

Scroll down or click on the “NIH Guidelines” link in the Panel shortcuts. Choose the appropriate

registration category(s) by checking the box next to the appropriate category(s). For more information

on this, please see the Experiments Covered by the NIH Guidelines starting on page 17 of the NIH

Guidelines: https://osp.od.nih.gov/wp-content/uploads/NIH_Guidelines.pdf

If necessary, scroll down through the NIH Guidelines. Click on the boxes next to the

appropriate selections.

Scroll down or click “Material” in the Panel shortcuts. Fill out the section appropriately. Add the

vector map by clicking on the purple “Drop files here or click to choose” button. Vector maps

must be png, jpeg, doc, or pdf files.

Click here to add vector maps

Scroll down or click “Genes” in the Panel shortcuts. To add genes to the registration, click the

“Add Gene” button. Alternatively, if the project includes many gene targets, an Excel

Spreadsheet may be uploaded by clicking on the “Drop file here or click to choose” button.

Click here to add genes individually

OR Upload an excel spreadsheet of

genes, their biological activity, and

species origin

If you add genes individually, the “Gene” box will pop up. Fill out the required information (1)

before clicking the “Save” button (2) to add the gene to the registration.

1. Enter the

appropriate

information

2. Click Save

The gene has been added to the registration. If necessary, add additional genes by repeating

these steps. If changes are needed for a specific gene, click on the blue pencil box to make

edits or the red trash can button to delete the gene entry. Complete the “Gene” section.

Scroll down or click “Genome Editing” in the Panel shortcuts. Respond “Yes” or “No” to the genome editing technology

question. If you are using genome editing technology, additional boxes will appear. Fill out the information. To add genomic

targets, click the “Add Genomic Target” box OR add an excel spread of genomic targets, their biological activities, species

origin of the target, and the functional consequence of the editing by clicking the “Drop file here or click to choose” box.

Click here to add genomic targets individually

OR Click here to add spreadsheet of targets

The “Target” box will pop up. Fill out the appropriate information. Multiple selections may be

made for the “Functional Consequence” by clicking more than one option from the drop-

down menu.

Multiple options available!

Click “Save” to add the genomic target to the registration. Continue adding genomic targets.

Click here

Choose the “Method of Delivery” for the Nuclease and the Guide RNA from the drop-down

menus that appear after clicking on the boxes.

If viral vector is selected, select the type of viral vector for Nuclease and Guide RNA delivery

from the drop-down menus. Answer the remaining question.

Scroll down or click the “Target Recipients” link in the Panel shortcuts. Choose the appropriate targets and fill out

the required information. If using animals, please answer “Yes” or “No” to the privately owned animals question.

Privately owned animals are animals enrolled in clinical studies in the Vet School. This designation does not apply

to research animals like mice or rats.

Scroll down or click “Biosafety Containment” from the Panel shortcuts. Choose the appropriate

containment from the drop-down menu for the Biosafety Level (BSL) and Animal Biosafety

Level (ABSL).

Choose the appropriate containment level

Multiple containment levels may be selected. If more than one containment level is selected,

an explanation in the “Comments” box must be provided.

Provide comments here if two levels are selected

Scroll down or click “Additional review” in the Panel shortcuts. Provide the required

information for the additional review.

Provide the IACUC protocol number(s) where

the IBC registration number will be used

With all sections complete, click the “Check Validations” button to check if the registration is

truly complete.

The registration has been saved. All data field requirements have been met so the registration

form has been completed. To submit the registration for pre-review, click the “Submit For

Approval” button.

Registration is saved

and complete

The registration has been successful submitted for pre-review. An email has been sent to the

assigned Biosafety Officer. The Biosafety Officer will pre-review the registration.

Success!

When pre-review is complete, you will receive an email. Login to the website. Access the “All

My Tasks” page. If this is not the landing page, access your tasks by clicking the tasks button (1).

To access the registration to review the pre-review comments, click on the task message (2).

1. Click here to access “All My Tasks” page

Once in the registration, click on “Review Comments” in the Panel shortcuts (1). To review specific

comments, click the “+” button (2). The conversation button can be used to respond to the

comment, if necessary (3). Click the “Section/Field” link to be taken directly to the section (4).

1. Click here

Once at the appropriate section, click on the red comment box to view the comment again (if

necessary). Make the appropriate changes.

If necessary, comments may be filtered by section and/or status. Once changes have been

made, click the “Review and Submit” button at the bottom of the page.

Click the “Confirm and Submit” button to continue with registration submission. An email will

be sent to the assigned Biosafety Officer.

After re-review is complete, you will receive an email prompting you to certify the

registration. Login to the website and navigate to the “All My Tasks” page. Click on the task

message to enter the registration.

The “Certification Form” section will be at the top of the page. Click the “I Certify this IBC

Registration” box (1). Then click the “Submit” button (2). An email will be sent to the

assigned Biosafety Officer and the registration will be added to an IBC meeting for review.

1. Click here to certify

2. Click here to submit

What happens next?

• Your registration will be reviewed at an IBC meeting.

• Your registration will either be approved and you will receive an

approval letter OR your registration will require modifications. The

assigned Biosafety Officer will notify you of this decision through the

website.