April 14, 1981 
THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY 
12 30 YORK AVENUE • N EW YORK. N EW YORK 10021 
Dr. William Gartlauid 
Office of Recombinant DNA 
NIGMD, Bldg. 31, 4A52 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, MD 20205 
Dear Bill: 
D. Baltimore and A. Campbell have brought to RAC a resol- 
ution %diose purpose is to move the NIH Guidelines for Recombinant 
DNA Research to something more consonant with the scientific thought 
of the past four years. 
There may still be come controversy over the genesis and 
wisdom of the actions taken which created the NIH Guidelines. Typical 
adjectives used run from foolish to self-serving to responsible. Be 
that as it may, there is no controversy over the fact that the Guide- 
lines have outlived any usefulness they uy have had. Recoeibinant DNA 
research has proven itself to be as safe as any other biological re- 
search. The evidence for this lies in myriads of successful experismnts 
£uid the failure of many theoretical arguments, no matter how rigorously 
construed to prove otherwise. 
It «K>uld be an important precedent for the N.l.H. to dis- 
mantle the unneeded regulatory structure. If scientists are e/er again 
to attempt to oope with potential hazard, they must see that what they 
believed were temporary measures can be undone. 
Yours sincerely. 
Norton D. Zinder 
(sail 
