STANFORD UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER 
DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS 
December 29, 1981 
Dr. William J. Gartland, Jr. 
Direc tor 
Office of Recombinant DMA Activities 
National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20205 
Dear Or. Gartland: 
This letter Is written In support of the revision In the Recombinant DNA 
Guldelles proposed by Ors. David Baltimore and Allan Campbell. Since work In 
other areas with microorgani sms that are known to be hazardous does not 
Involve mandatory regulations, but rather Involves voluntary adherence by 
Investigators to a code of standard practice. It does not seem reasonable to 
require mandatory rules for research with recombinant DNA molecules — which 
have shown no Indication of presenting a special hazard. Surely, If a 
voluntary code of standard practice Is sufficient to protect laboratory 
workers and the public from the effects of agents known to be hazardous, the 
saoM procedures should be adequate In the area of recombinant DNA research. 
Mandatory guidelines seem to me to be a vestige from a time when It was 
believed that this area of research might present special hazards and that 
extraordinary precautions were necessary. At this point In time, all evidence 
Indicates tnat a code of standard operating practices similar to that used by 
workers In other areas of microbiology Is adequate protection. 
I urge the adoption by the RAC of the proposal appearing In the Federal 
Register dated December 4, 1981. 
DtrAa-miNT or genetic*, etanfoiid university school or medicine. Stanford. California S490s • ( 4 is) 497.J052 
SNC:ps 
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