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1 conditions. We place organisms together that might only 
2 rarely find themselves in close proximity in nature. 
3 Until we can anticipate the results of altering an 
4 established ecological balance, such experiments should 
5 not be exempted from the guidelines. This sane consid- 
6 eration applies to self-cloning experiments. 
7 The proposed revised guidelines also exempt 
g recombinant DNA experiments using naked DMA on the 
9 grounds that it is "extremely unlikely to be hazardous." 
10 In addition, containment experiments involving animal 
11 cell- transforming viruses have been substantially 
12 reduced, based on the supposed inefficiency of infection 
13 by naked DNA. Both these decisions do not take into 
14 account the results of the Rowe-ilartin risk assessment 
15 experiments with polyoma virus which were reported at 
16 the Falmouth Conference. This experiment showed that 
17 naked polyoma DNA, when injected into the blood stream 
18 or tube-fed into the colon of mice, caused low-level 
19 infection. 
2Q Rather than lower the containment for recombin- 
21 ant work with viruses, this experiment should encourage 
22 us to maintain the original stringent containment levels 
23 for such viruses. 
24 My office has long been concerned with the 
25 over-delegation of authority by NIH to research institutions. 
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