THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY 
1230 YORK AVENUE • NEW YORK, NEW YORK 100 21 
Dr. Donald S. Fredrickson, M.D. 
Di rector 
National Institutes of Health 
Public Health Service 
Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson: 
I am writing to support the decision to reclassify recom- 
binant DNA experiments performed in Escherichia col i strain K-12 
as category P-1 experiments. I understand that a decision to 
make this amendment to the guidelines was made on the basis of 
the best scientific advice but that the Secretary of H.E.W. has 
delayed the category change pending an assessment of the public 
response. I believe that the category change is fully con- 
sistent with public safety, and is essential to permit legiti- 
mate health related research dependent upon cloning techniques 
to proceed. 
Sincerely yours, 
Dr. Alan R. Shaw, Ph.D. 
NIH Postdoctoral Fellow 
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