MINUTES OF MEETING - March 6-7 
23 
Action on Dr. Henriques' request would have to be deferred until the 
June meeting. 
i 
Dr. Gottesman and Ms. King questioned why an investigator in Brazil 
would desire an interpretation from the RAC. Dr. Maas suggested that 
many Brazilian investigators were trained in the United States and 
would prefer to follow the NIH Guidelines. Dr. Young said schistosom- 
iasis is an important disease affecting millions of individuals in 
tropical or subtropical regions. He believed the RAC should be respon- 
sive to this type of query. Dr. Setlow suggested that Dr. Henriques 
be queried as to his reasons for submitting this request to the RAC. 
If appropriate, the issue will be discussed at the June RAC meeting 
following publication in the Federal Register . 
F. Request to construct a plasmid bank for use in Anacystis and Escherichia 
coll 
Dr. Brill introduced a letter (tab 854) from Dr. Louis Sherman of the 
University of Missouri concerning a project initiated during a sabba- 
tical in Holland. 
I 
Dr. Brill said that Dr. Sherman is studying a unicellular blue-green 
algae, Anacystis , and has successfully transformed this organism with 
indigenous plasmids as well as with Escherichia coli plasmids. 
Dr. Sherman intends to construct a plasmid hybrid to be transferred 
between Escherichia coli and Anacystis . Dr. Brill said that an MUA 
describing this wcrk had been submitted and that containment levels 
of P2 + EK2 were indicated in the MUA. He said Dr. Sherman now 
requests a lowering of containment. Dr. Brill recommended approval 
of the request at the PI level of containment. 
Dr. Gottesman offered her interpretation of these experiments. She 
said the transformation experiments into Escherichia coli K-12 which 
Dr. Sherman described may be performed at PI + EKO. She said that 
more complicated experiments would require closer scrutiny. Dr. Brill 
agreed that Dr. Sherman does not provide a clear idea of future experi- 
ments. Dr. Talbot suggested that the investigator be informed by ORDA 
of what he can do under the Guidelines. Should he desire to do experi- 
ments beyond those permitted by the Guidelines, ORDA would suggest 
he submit details for publication in the Federal Register prior to 
discussion by the RAC. The members of the committee concurred. 
G. Request for an exception to a prohibition in order to study Cauliflower 
Mosaic Virus aphid transmissibility 
Dr. Zaitlin introduced the proposal (tab 857) from Dr. Robert Shepherd 
of the University of California, Davis. Dr. Zaitlin said he believed 
this request should be published in the Federal Register as a proposed 
major action and could not be acted on at this meeting. 
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