1    Legal Notice and Website Disclaimer
IRCBB (International Research Cloud for Biochemistry & Biotechnology) is presented through this Website as a voluntary, non-commercial scientific collaboration initiative and informational website dedicated to science, education, research communication, and knowledge exchange in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, and related analytical and computational fields.
The term “Cloud” is used as part of the name of the initiative. It does not mean that IRCBB provides cloud hosting, data-storage, data-processing, software-as-a-service, laboratory, diagnostic, testing, certification, accreditation, regulatory, or commercial platform services through this Website.
The Website is provided for general informational, scientific, educational, and research-communication purposes only.
IRCBB is not a commercial service provider and does not sell products or services through this Website.
IRCBB is not an incorporated association, certification body, accreditation body, notified body, conformity assessment body, laboratory, clinical provider, diagnostic provider, university, public authority, regulator, professional licensing organization, or standards-setting authority.
Nothing on this Website should be interpreted as:
•    medical advice;
•    clinical advice;
•    diagnostic advice;
•    therapeutic advice;
•    legal advice;
•    regulatory advice;
•    professional advice;
•    laboratory instructions for regulated use;
•    validation of any method, protocol, product, technology, or service;
•    approval, certification, accreditation, licensing, authorization, recognition, or endorsement by IRCBB or by any third party.
Website content may refer to scientific fields, publications, methods, tools, technologies, institutions, laboratories, companies, standards, databases, public authorities, regulatory bodies, or scientific organizations. Such references are provided only for general scientific context.
References to any university, laboratory, company, public authority, regulatory body, scientific organization, standard, database, publication, method, tool, or technology do not imply certification, accreditation, regulatory approval, official validation, partnership, sponsorship, endorsement, or responsibility by IRCBB or by any referenced third party.

You should not rely on Website content as a substitute for advice from qualified professionals, competent authorities, institutional review bodies, ethics committees, regulatory advisors, legal counsel, or other appropriate experts.

2    No Laboratory, Diagnostic, Clinical, Testing, or Certification Services
IRCBB does not provide through this Website:
•    laboratory services;
•    sample receipt or sample processing;
•    clinical services;
•    diagnostic services;
•    molecular testing services;
•    genetic testing services;
•    analytical testing services;
•    validation studies for third parties;
•    conformity assessment;
•    certification;
•    accreditation;
•    regulatory approval;
•    official reports;
•    diagnostic determinations;
•    individualized scientific, medical, legal, regulatory, or professional interpretations.
Nothing on the Website should be interpreted as a claim that any method, protocol, technology, contributor, laboratory, company, institution, publication, or project is approved, certified, accredited, validated, endorsed, recognized, or authorized by IRCBB or by any public authority, regulator, scientific organization, institution, or third party.

3    Community Participation and Offline Collaborations
Any participation in IRCBB-related scientific communication or collaboration is voluntary, community-based, non-commercial, and coordinated outside the Website unless expressly stated otherwise.
The Website does not operate:
•    user accounts;
•    member areas;
•    paid membership systems;
•    online membership application systems;
•    certification programs;
•    accreditation programs;
•    professional licensing programs;

•    newsletters;
•    payment systems;
•    online research portals;
•    cloud-based research workspaces;
•    databases for submission of regulated or confidential data.
Any specific research collaboration, authorship, data sharing, material transfer, institutional involvement, confidentiality obligation, funding arrangement, or regulated scientific activity should be governed by separate written arrangements where necessary.
Use of the Website does not create any partnership, agency, employment, fiduciary, institutional, professional, regulatory, or membership relationship with IRCBB.

4    Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how personal data may be processed in connection with the Website. This Privacy Policy applies to Website visitors and to individuals who contact IRCBB by email.
This Website Privacy Policy does not govern separate offline collaborations, research projects, authorship arrangements, data-sharing arrangements, material transfers, institutional collaborations, employment relationships, or other non-Website relationships. Where such relationships involve personal data, they should be governed by separate privacy notices, agreements, lawful bases, or written arrangements where applicable.
4.1 Controller, Website Operator, and Contact
For Personal Data processed in connection with this Website, the person responsible for determining the purposes and essential means of processing is:
Data Controller and Website Operator: Dr. Allan J. First
Capacity: Website administrator and coordinator of the informal, voluntary, and non-commercial IRCBB scientific collaboration initiative
Administrative and correspondence address: 145 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02111 United States
Privacy contact email: info@ircbb.com / Telephone: +1 (617) 841-3378
Dr. Allan J. First determines the purposes and essential means of processing relating to the operation, hosting, security, maintenance, administration, and communications of this Website. IRCBB is an informal scientific collaboration initiative and is not presented through this Website as a separate incorporated legal entity, commercial service provider, laboratory, university, certification body, accreditation body, regulatory authority, or professional licensing organization. The designation of Dr. Allan J. First as Data Controller and Website Operator relates to the operation and administration of this Website. Separate offline research collaborations, institutional projects, data-sharing arrangements, material transfers, authorship arrangements, or other scientific activities may involve different controllers and must be governed by separate written arrangements where applicable. 
4.2 Minimal-Data Website Design
The Website is intended to follow a minimal-data approach. Through this Website, IRCBB does not intentionally:
•    operate user accounts;
•    operate member areas;
•    collect online membership applications;
•    operate payment systems;
•    sell products or services;

•    provide newsletters or marketing subscriptions;
•    conduct advertising or behavioral profiling;
•    use Google Analytics, Meta Pixel, advertising identifiers, or marketing pixels;
•    provide cloud hosting, data-storage, data-processing, software-as-a-service, laboratory, diagnostic, testing, certification, accreditation, regulatory, or commercial platform services;
•    collect applications for certification, accreditation, regulatory approval, laboratory validation, professional authorization, or formal recognition;
•    request patient data, clinical data, diagnostic data, genetic data, health data, special-category personal data, confidential third-party data, or regulated research data through the Website.
Visitors should not send sensitive personal data, patient data, clinical data, diagnostic data, health data, confidential third-party information, unpublished regulated data, controlled information, or legally restricted information through the Website or by unsolicited email.
4.3 Personal Data We May Process
Depending on how you use the Website, the following limited categories of personal data may be processed.
A.    Technical and Security Data
When you visit the Website, limited technical data may be processed automatically by the Website hosting provider and related infrastructure providers. This may include:
•    IP address;
•    browser type and version;
•    device and operating system information;
•    date and time of access;
•    pages visited;
•    referring URL;
•    server logs;
•    security, availability, and diagnostic information.
This information is generally processed for Website operation, security, fraud prevention, troubleshooting, and technical maintenance.
B.    Email Communications
If you contact IRCBB by email, we may process:
•    your name, if provided;
•    your email address;
•    your affiliation, if provided;
•    the subject and content of your message;
•    any information you voluntarily include in your communication;
•    related correspondence metadata.
Please do not include sensitive personal data or confidential third-party information in unsolicited emails.
C.    Publicly Available Scientific or Professional Information

Where relevant for scientific communication, IRCBB may refer to publicly available professional or scientific information, such as names of researchers, publications, institutional affiliations, public webpages, scientific databases, or publicly available academic materials.
Such references are used only for informational, educational, scientific, or contextual purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, partnership, certification, accreditation, regulatory approval, or formal recognition.
4.4     Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing
Personal data may be processed for the following purposes and legal bases.
A.    Website Operation and Security
Purpose: To operate, maintain, secure, troubleshoot, and protect the Website.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests in maintaining a secure and functional informational website.
B.    Responding to Communications
Purpose: To read, manage, and respond to emails or other direct communications.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests in responding to inquiries and maintaining scientific or administrative communication; where applicable, steps taken at the request of the person contacting us.
C.    Scientific and Informational Communication
Purpose: To provide general information about IRCBB, its scientific scope, educational purpose, public-facing content, and non-commercial collaboration context.
Legal basis: Legitimate interests in scientific communication, education, transparency, and public information.
D.    Legal Compliance and Protection of Rights
Purpose: To comply with applicable legal obligations, respond to lawful requests, prevent misuse, and protect legal rights.
Legal basis: Legal obligation where applicable; legitimate interests in protecting the Website, its administrators, contributors, visitors, and scientific integrity.
4.5     Cookies and Similar Technologies
The Website is hosted on a third-party website platform and may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for basic Website functionality, security, session management, load balancing, fraud prevention, or technical operation.
IRCBB does not intentionally use advertising cookies, behavioral tracking cookies, marketing pixels, or profiling technologies through this Website.
If non-essential cookies or analytics technologies are introduced in the future, the Website should provide appropriate information and, where required, obtain consent before such technologies are used.
You may control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may affect Website functionality.
4.6    Hosting and Service Providers
The Website is created and hosted using services provided by Wix.
Hosting and website-platform provider:
Wix Online Platforms Limited 1 Grant’s Row Dublin 2, D02HX96 Ireland
Wix and its authorized infrastructure providers may process limited technical information, including IP addresses, device and browser information, server logs, security information, cookie identifiers, and diagnostic data, where necessary to deliver, secure, maintain, and troubleshoot the Website. Depending on the specific processing activity and platform configuration, Wix may act as a processor on behalf of the Website Operator and/or as an independent controller for its own security, fraud-prevention, legal-compliance, diagnostic, and service-integrity purposes.
The Website Operator does not authorize Wix or any other service provider to use Website visitor information for IRCBB advertising, behavioral profiling, or the sale of Personal Data. Email communications may also be processed by the email and domain service providers used for the [info@ircbb.com](mailto:info@ircbb.com) address. Such providers process information only to the extent necessary to transmit, secure, store, and administer email communications.
4.7     International Transfers
Because the Website may be administered from Boston, Massachusetts, United States and may rely on third-party hosting, security, domain, email, or infrastructure providers, personal data may be processed in countries outside your country of residence, including outside the European Economic Area.
Where applicable, such processing should be subject to appropriate safeguards under applicable data protection law, such as contractual safeguards, platform provider safeguards, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.
4.8    Retention
Personal data is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this document.
•    Technical logs are generally retained by hosting or infrastructure providers for limited periods determined by security, operational, legal, or technical needs.
•    Email communications may be retained for as long as necessary to manage the communication, maintain records, protect rights, or comply with applicable obligations.
•    Unnecessary personal data may be deleted or anonymized where reasonably possible.
4.9    Your Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal data, including the right to:
•    request access to your personal data;
•    request correction of inaccurate personal data;
•    request deletion of personal data;
•    request restriction of processing;
•    object to processing based on legitimate interests;
•    request portability, where applicable;
•    withdraw consent, where processing is based on consent;
•    lodge a complaint with a competent data protection authority. 
To exercise privacy rights, contact: info@ircbb.com.
We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests. Some requests may be limited by legal, security, scientific integrity, record-keeping, or legitimate interest considerations.
4.10    No Collection from Children
The Website is not directed to children and does not intentionally collect personal data from children. If you believe that a child has provided personal data through the Website, please contact us so that appropriate steps can be taken.

5    User Responsibilities
By using the Website, you agree that you are responsible for:
•    using the Website lawfully and responsibly;
•    independently verifying scientific, legal, regulatory, technical, or professional information before

relying on it;
•    complying with all applicable laws, regulations, institutional policies, ethical rules, professional standards, biosafety rules, data protection obligations, export-control rules, and research-governance requirements;
•    obtaining any necessary approvals, permissions, consents, licenses, authorizations, ethics approvals, institutional approvals, or regulatory clearances for your own activities;
•    ensuring that any information you send to IRCBB is lawful, accurate, appropriate, and not confidential unless a separate written arrangement applies.
You must not use the Website in a way that is unlawful, misleading, harmful, abusive, fraudulent, defamatory, infringing, disruptive, or inconsistent with scientific integrity.

6    Prohibited Submissions
You must not submit, upload, send, or attempt to transmit through the Website or by unsolicited email:
•    patient data;
•    clinical data;
•    diagnostic data;
•    health data;
•    genetic data relating to identifiable persons;
•    special-category personal data;
•    confidential third-party information;
•    unpublished regulated research data;
•    export-controlled information;
•    controlled technical information;
•    trade secrets or proprietary information that you are not authorized to disclose;
•    biological samples, physical materials, or laboratory specimens;
•    requests for diagnosis, testing, certification, accreditation, regulatory approval, or official validation;
•    malicious code, spam, phishing content, or harmful files.
IRCBB may delete, ignore, or decline to respond to inappropriate, unlawful, confidential, sensitive, or unsolicited submissions.

7    Intellectual Property
Unless otherwise stated, the Website content, including text, logos, design, layout, and materials, is owned by or licensed to the Website operator, IRCBB administrators, or the relevant rights holders and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws.
You may view and use the Website for personal, scientific, educational, and non-commercial informational purposes.

You may not copy, reproduce, modify, distribute, publish, scrape, commercially exploit, misrepresent, or create derivative works from Website content without appropriate permission, except where permitted by applicable
law or clearly allowed by the relevant rights holder.
All third-party names, logos, trademarks, publications, databases, tools, standards, and references remain the property of their respective owners.
References to third-party materials do not imply ownership, endorsement, sponsorship, partnership, certification, accreditation, regulatory approval, or authorization.

8    Third-Party Links and References
The Website may contain links or references to third-party websites, publications, databases, tools, organizations, laboratories, companies, universities, public authorities, regulatory bodies, scientific organizations, standards, or methods.
These references are provided only for general informational, educational, scientific, or contextual purposes.
IRCBB does not control and is not responsible for third-party websites, services, publications, databases, content, availability, security, accuracy, or privacy practices.
You access third-party websites and materials at your own risk and subject to their own terms and policies.

9    No Endorsement or Official Status
Unless expressly stated in a separate written agreement or official document, no Website content should be understood as indicating that:
•    IRCBB endorses any person, laboratory, company, institution, product, method, protocol, technology, publication, service, or organization;
•    any third party endorses, sponsors, approves, certifies, accredits, validates, recognizes, or regulates IRCBB;
•    any referenced method, tool, laboratory, company, institution, protocol, or technology has been approved, certified, accredited, validated, recognized, or authorized by any public authority, regulator, scientific organization, or third party;
•    any person, laboratory, company, institution, or organization has formal membership, legal status,
official representation, certification, accreditation, regulatory approval, or professional authorization through IRCBB.

10    No Warranty
The Website is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. IRCBB makes no warranty or representation that:
•    the Website will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or always available;
•    Website content will be complete, accurate, current, or suitable for any particular purpose;
•    scientific references will remain up to date;
•    third-party links will remain available;
•    any information will satisfy legal, regulatory, institutional, clinical, diagnostic, technical, or professional requirements.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, IRCBB disclaims all warranties, whether express, implied, statutory, or otherwise.

11    Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, IRCBB, its Website administrators, contributors, collaborators, and related persons shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or other damages arising from or related to:
•    use of or inability to use the Website;
•    reliance on Website content;
•    errors, omissions, interruptions, or delays;
•    third-party links, websites, publications, databases, tools, services, or references;
•    unauthorized access, technical issues, or security incidents affecting third-party infrastructure;
•    any scientific, legal, regulatory, clinical, diagnostic, technical, professional, institutional, or business decision made by a user.
Nothing in this document excludes or limits liability where such exclusion or limitation is not permitted by applicable law.

12    Changes to the Website and This Document
IRCBB may update, modify, restrict, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Website at any time, without prior notice.
This document may be updated from time to time to reflect changes on the Website, applicable law, technical practices, or administrative arrangements.
The effective date at the top of this document indicates the latest version. Continued use of the Website after changes are published means that you accept the updated version.

13    Governing Law and Jurisdiction
This document and any non-contractual matters arising from or related to use of the Website shall be governed by the laws of Massachusetts, United States, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles.
The competent courts of Boston, Massachusetts, United States, shall have jurisdiction, except where mandatory applicable law provides otherwise.
If any provision of this document is held invalid, unlawful, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in effect.

14    Contact
For privacy requests, legal-notice questions, Website administration matters, security notifications, or   questions concerning Website access, contact: Dr. Allan J. First Website Operator and Administrator of the informal IRCBB scientific collaboration initiative 
145 Tremont Street Boston, MA 02111 United States 
Email: info@ircbb.com  / Telephone: +1 (617) 841-3378