17 
with the dealing of Foot and Mouth Disease Virus. However, the Rift Valley 
Fever Virus project provides more safeguards because the virus genone is 
negative stranded, segmented RNA. Dr. Bems said he felt PI containment 
would be adequate for the project. 
Dr. Baltimore agreed with Dr. Bern's evaluation, and added two points. He 
said that the prc^xised method of reverse transcription, the "snap-back" 
procedure, wDuld ensure that the full RNA is not cloned. He cautioned, how^ 
ever, that Rift Valley Fever Virus is a Bunyavirus and Bunyaviruses are known 
to recombine within the family. He suggested that the laboratory work areas 
be limited to research with Rift Valley Fever Virus and that investigators 
not simultaneously study other Bunyaviruses. Dr. Pilacinski of Molecular 
Genetics, Inc., said that the conpany is not presently working with Bunya- 
viruses other than Rift Valley Fever Virus and has no plans to do so in the 
near future. 
Dr. Baltimore moved approval of the proposal at the PI level of containment 
with the stipulation that other Bunyaviruses not be studied in the same 
laboratory areas and that the "snap-back" procedure, as described in the 
protocol, be utilized to generate the DMA. Dr. Bems seconded the motion. 
Mr. Thornton called the vote. By a vote of sixteen in favor, none opposed, 
and two abstentions, the RAC adopted the motion. 
VI. STATEMENT ON THE PROPOSED REVISION OF THE GUIDELINES 
Mr. Thornton asked that his statement concerning agenda item III, "Proposed 
Revision of the Guidelines," be distributed (Attachment V). He said that 
to have made this statement before consideration of the issue could have 
compromised his position as ohairman. However, he felt it was now apprepriate 
to distribute the statement. 
VII. CLOSED SESSION 
The RAC went into olosed session to consider proposals involving proprietary 
information from commercial concerns for scale-up of recombinant ENA 
experiments. 
VIII. PROPOSED AMENDMENT OF SECTION II 1-0-2 
Mr. Thornton as)ced Dr. Talbot to discuss the prcposal (tabs 1025, 1035/6) of 
Dr, Michael J. Ross of Genentech, Inc. Dr. Talbot said Dr. Ross had requested 
an amendment of Section III-B-3 of the Guidelines. Section III-B-3 currently 
specifies that the Director, NIH, may set containment levels, after a case- 
by-case review, for certain experiments involving non-HVL prokaryotic host- 
vector systems. Dr. Ross proposed to amend the Section to permit the cloning 
of ENA from any nonpathogenic species in nonpathogenic lower eukaryotes at P3 
containment and into nonpathogenic prokaryotes at the P2 level of containment. 
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