THE JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY 
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 
DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY 
7 iS N. WOLFE STREET 
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND 11 MS 
September 3, 1980 
Dr. William Gartland 
Chief, Office of Recombinant DNA Activities 
National Institutes of Health 
Bldg. 31, Rm. 4A-52 
Bethesda, MD 20205 
Dear Dr. Gartland: 
I would like to comment on the proposed changes in the NIH guidelines 
suggested by Dr. Maxine Singer and published in the Federal Register of 
Thursday, August 21, 1980. I strongly support the proposed changes. In 
my opinion they represent a natural and justified evolution in the responsi- 
bility of local biosafety committees. At Johns Hopkins University the 
committee functions extraordinarily well, and its role in the review of 
proposals is highly respected. Elimination of central review at NIH for 
experiments classified in the Guidelines will save a great deal of time for 
both the investigator and the reviewers at NIH. I believe the experience 
of the past six years justifies a change toward an administrative arrangement 
long successfully practiced in the handling of proven microbial pathogens, 
namely national guidelines enforced by local biosafety committees. Dr. 
Singer's proposals are a step in this direction. 
Sincerely, 
Daniel Nathans 
Professor and Director 
Department of Microbiology 
DN/lc 
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