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While NIH has guidelines established for research it funds, these are 
still not controls which will govern DNA Recombinent research by military or 
industrial researchers. Past experience shows that there is almost no way 
to achieve absolute or permenant containment. Therefore no new genetic 
combinations should be made using Escherichia coli or any other bacteria 
which is a part of the normal flora of humans. 
Unfortunately, most cell researchers are too highly specialized and have 
not had sufficient training in ecological thought. Most are unaware of the 
past experiences and difficulties occuring when new "hybrid" weeds have 
invaded and disrupted ecosystems. The aggressiveness of many of these new 
gene combinations is amazing. We can only assume new bacterial gene combina- 
tion will also result in an occasional new aggressive strain. 
While NIH has stated certain experiments cannot be conducted, you turn 
right around and say they can under certain circumstances if permission is 
given. If they are not safe (considering possible consequences) they should 
not be carried out at all under any circumstances. 
Department of Biological Sciences 
Southeastern Oklahoma State University 
Appendix K — 178 
