Page 7 of Attachment E 
Section I 
QUESTIONNAIRE AND RESPONSES 
1. LETTERS SENT TO NATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS 
ON MAILING LIST 
COGENE, a scientific committee of ICSU (International Council for 
Scientific Unions), has been established to deal with issues arising from 
the advent of recombinant DNA research. Among its purposes and 
objectives (see enclosed statement) is a consideration of en- 
vironmental, health-related and other consequences that might result 
from the accidental dispersal of biological agents constructed by 
recombinant DNA techniques. 
Evaluation of the considerable and wide-spread speculation, claims 
and counter claims, about the nature and magnitude of the risks 
associated with recombinant DNA research, is difficult without specific 
scientific information bearing on these questions. Consequently, one of 
COGENE’s initial efforts is to gather information about what in- 
vestigations are being undertaken to assess the risks of recombinant 
DNA experimentation. 
Specifically, would you inform us if your national committee or 
scientific body is presently conducting or plans to carry-out ex- 
periments, of if you are aware of any organization or laboratory which is 
planning or conducting experiments to: 
1. Assess the adequacy or comparative advantages of various 
forms of physical containment designs and equipment; 
2. Assess the adequacy or comparative advantages of various 
forms of biological containment; 
3. Estimate the frequencies of pro- and eukaryotic genetic 
exchange in Nature (i.e. How widespread and frequent are 
foreign DNA's taken up, and maintained by pro- and 
eukaryotic organisms?); 
4. Determine whether toxic recombinants (e.g. organisms 
bearing botulinum, tetanus or diptheria toxin genes) can be 
constructed and/or whether “ shotgun " experiments using 
DNA from various sources can produce lethal infections, 
tumors, etc. 
5. Develop means for monitoring laboratory personnel for 
exposure to or infection by recombinant organisms or 
vectors; 
6. Explore the potential impact of recombinant organisms on 
nonhuman species (e.g. animals, plants), the atmosphere and 
oceans; 
7. Clarify aspecis of the ecology and natural history of 
microorganisms, plasmids and bacteriophages as they relate 
to the probabilities of disseminating infections via such 
vectors; 
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