Page 14 of Attachment E 
tainment; finally a Monograph (No. 6) of the Public Health 
Laboratory Service is available from Her Majesty's Stationery 
Office: it contains a list of papers (up to 1973) related to the 
problem of handling pathogens. 
As for Question 2, tests are planned in the U.K. to investigate 
attenuated strains of E. coli K-12, as well as thermophilic 
bacteria and S. subtilis. Also vectors (phage and plasmids) 
are being examined specifically for use in biologically 
contained experiments. No official action is considered, and 
progress in this field is expected to depend mainly on U.S. 
initiatives (e.g. Falmouth Workshop, or NIH action). 
(iv) Dr. S. Rolleston, of CANADA/MRC (Document No. 4) has 
informed us that a Sub-committee on Performance Stan- 
dards has been established to determine criteria for con- 
tainment equipment and mechanisms for testing of such 
equipment in situ in the lab. A report is expected (Oct. 3, 
1977). “None” is the answer to Question 2. 
(v) Dr. D. Stetten of U.S. DHEW/NIH, (Document No. 13) has 
submitted answers to both questions: 
1. Dr. E. Barkley, director of Research Safety, NCI 
(Document No. 13) mentions that the performance 
capabilities of safety cabinets are being evaluated at 
the NCI: their performance could be extrapolated from 
cancer research to genetic manipulation. A contract to 
the Naval Bioscience Laboratory of UC in Berkeley by 
NCI aims at studying biohazards of lab operations e.g. 
associated with aerosols, worker techniques, etc. 
NIH involvement with P4 facilities is in general directed 
at the objective of Question 1 . 
2. NIH is supporting a variety of studies on biological 
containment (Document No. 13): the relevant contracts 
are administered by NIAID. They aim at (a) verification 
of genotype and phenotype of hosts and vectors, (b) 
testing vector-host systems to confirm containment, 
shown by laboratory studies, in relevant environments 
including animals and man. 
Quarterly reports are produced by the contractors, and 
COGENE might take advantage of them, or of some 
elaboration of them made available by ORDA. 
A report signed by Dr. W. Szybalski to the Recombinant 
Advisory Committee from the Lambda Phage Working 
Group was enclosed by NIH: it outlines standardized 
EK3 tests and other items (A.M. Skalka was present at 
the meeting and is a coauthor of the report.). A 
memorandum from Dr. M. Martin to the NIH Recom- 
binant DNA Molecule Program Advisory Committee on 
endorsement of the risk assessment experiment with 
cloned polyoma is also pertinent (Document No. 13): its 
goal is to assess the factors (bacterial vector and 
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