STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 
DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS 
December 19, 1980 
Dr. William J. Gartland, Jr. 
Executive Secretary 
Recombinant Advisory Committee 
Building 31, Room 4852 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, MD 20205 
Dear Dr. Gartland: 
This letter is written in strong support of the proposal by Dr. Winston 
Brill that the Recombinant DNA Guidelines be amended to permit experiments 
involving non-pathogenic eukaryotes and lower prokaryotes to be carried out 
under PI containment conditions. 
During the more than six years that have elapsed since my colleagues and I 
first raised questions about the possible biohazardous consequences of certain 
types of recombinant DNA experiments, much experience and evidence has been 
accumulated to indicate that our concerns were unnecessary and unwarranted. 
At this point in time, there is no basis for requiring a level of containment 
for recombinant DNA experiments involving non-pathogenic prokaryotes and lower 
eukaryotes higher than is required for other work with the same organism. 
Thus, Dr. Brill's proposed amendment makes scientific sense, and it will help 
reduce impediments that still unnecesarily restrict current recombinant DNA 
work. 
I strongly urge the approval of Dr. Brill's proposal. 
Stanrey N. Cohen 
Professor 
SNC:ps 
department of genetics, STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, STANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305 • (415) 497-5052 
