MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY 
77 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE 
CAMBRIDGE. MASSACHUSETTS 02139 
DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY 
16-531 
January 29, 1982 
PHONE; (617) 253-1000 
253-4700 
William Gartland, Director 
Office of Recombinant DNA Activities 
Building 31, Room 4A52 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20205 
Dear Bill: 
I am writing to register my strong objection to the 
dismantling of the NIH Recombinant DNA Guidelines, as 
expressed in the Baltimore/Campbell Proposal, set forth in 
the Federal Register of 4 December 1981. 
This proposal eliminates the mandatory nature of the 
guidelines for federally sponsored researchers, eliminates 
oversight by the National and Institutional DNA Committees, 
and removes all sanctions for violation of the Guidelines. 
The Working Group Modification of the Baltimore/Campbell 
proposal, though maintaining some mandatory features, 
represents a major dilution and weakening of the guidelines, 
and should also be rejected by RAC. 
In this period of rapid development and expansion of 
university and commercial applications of recombinant DNA 
technology, the nation needs the extension and broadening 
of the scope of the Guidelines, from Just the federally 
sponsored research sector, to all genetic engineering applica- 
tions. Despite the efforts invested by many RAC Members the 
proposed dismantling of the guidelines is scientifically and 
socially unsound, and would represent a failure of the RAC to 
carry out its public charge and trust. 
( 719 ] 
