MINUTES OF MEETING - December 6-7 
32 
acted upon at this meeting. Dr. Mason said this proposal, 
originating with NIAID, requests a change in the Guidelines 
to permit experimentation with CDC Class 3 agents. If approved, 
experiments with these agents would be removed from the 
prohibited category. Dr. Krause said that NIAID is initiat- 
ing this request because of its programmatic interest and 
responsibilities for developing new modalities of prevention 
of infectious diseases. He said for these experiments NIAID 
suggests a transfer from prohibited to permissible under 
uniform P3 + HV1 conditions. He noted that there are major 
research opportunities, which could eventually lead to new 
and better methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. 
He suggested that the RAC form a working group to establish 
a position on Class 3 agents. Dr. Novick said he strongly 
favors this proposal but noted that several questions might 
be raised. If this proposal is approved, prohibitions I-D-l, 
will only cover a few viruses in Class 4 and 5. Dr. Gottesman 
said that there are several problems a working group would 
have to work out in order to include Class 3 agents under 
permissible experiments and yet be consistent with the rest 
of the Guidelines. 
Dr. Ahmed questioned the rationale for proposing P3 contain- 
ment. Dr. Nutter said Class 3 organisms are investigated in 
this country and abroad under P3 conditions. Dr. Goldstein 
said he would like someone to address the question of 
whether the host range of these organisms might be altered. 
Dr. Gottesman said that her understanding of the proposal 
is that DMA from Class 3 organisms would be permitted to be 
introduced into HV1 organisms. The proposal is not permitting 
DNA to be introduced into Class 3 organisms. Dr. Setlow 
appointed Dr. Young, Dr. Mason and Dr. Novick to a working 
group to consider this issue. 
XVI. PHYSICAL CONTAINMENT GUIDELINES FOR LARGE-SCALE USES OF ORGANISMS 
CONTAINING RECOMBINANT DNA MOLECULES 
Dr. Walters presented the draft proposal of the working group on 
large-scale (tab 774/7 and 790). He noted that the members of 
the working group were Emmett Barkley, Sheldon Krimsky, Frank 
Young and himself. He added that Robert McKinney of Enviro 
Control contributed as a consultant. Dr. Walters said that no 
equivalent physical containment large-scale standards are available 
in other countries. He said the proposed Guidelines extrapolate 
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