APPENDIX M 
LETTER CONCERNING FALMOUTH WORKSHOP, 
FROM S. L. GORBACH TO D. S. FREDRICKSON 
NEW ENGLAND MEDICAL CENTER HOSPITAL 
1 TTu Clinical Unit of the Tufts~New England Medical Coder 
\ 
Uniting the Boston Dispensary, 
Boston Floating Hospital 
for Infants anil C/ithlren, 
mill Vratt Clinu~J^ew England 
Center Hospital 
171 Harrison Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 Area code 617 956-5000 
July 14, 1977 
Dr. Donald Frederickson 
Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Building 1, Room 124 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
Dear Dr. Frederickson: 
fj A Workshop on Studies for Assessment of Potential Risks Associated 
With Recombinant DNA Experimentation was held in Falmouth, Massachusetts 
on June 20-21, 1977. This Workshop was sponsored by the National 
Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Fogarty International 
Center of the National Institutes of Health. I was moderator of this 
meeting. A consensus of opinion emerged from our discussions which is 
of some import and which I felt should be brought to your attention. 
I should emphasize that this letter represents my own evaluation of the 
H discussions. A transcript is being prepared from the complete tape- 
; recordings of the sessions, and a detailed summary will be sent to all 
1 participants for their approval. This final summary statement will be 
published in a scientific journal. 
i 
Before dealing with the specific conclusions, perhaps it would be 
( useful to provide some background to the genesis of the meeting and the 
composition of the invited participants. This Workshop was the outgrowth 
of an informal meeting of consultants at NIH who were asked to advise on 
the question of risk assessment. The meeting was held on August 31, 1976, 
|j and included infectious disease specialists and experts in enteric 
bacteriology. A report of this informal gathering was presented to the 
Recombinant DNA Molecule Program Advisory Committee during their 
1 September 1976 meeting. The Advisory Committee recommended that a 
Workshop be held to bring together diverse scientific and clinical 
disciplines in order to discuss the basic biology of E. col i and the 
ii area of risk assessment in recombinant DNA research. A Steering Committee 
I was organized, and I was asked to chair this small group and the subsequent 
i| Workshop. Our Steering Committee had planned meetings in December 1976, 
[I and again in March 1977. 
Appendix M--1 
