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1 conditions required by the guidelines. To this end, I 
2 supported the appointment of an institutional committee 
3 on recombinant DNA research, responsible for the approval 
4 and monitoring of physical containment facilities, and 
5 the experiments done therein. 
6 The committee as appointed at Virginia contains, 
I in addition to knowledgeable basic biological scientists, 
8 representatives from the areas of city and county government, 
9 science, law, and epidemiological medicine. Similar 
10 knowledgeable and broad-based representation is character- 
II istic of analogous committees at other universities with 
12 which I am familiar, indicating to me that institutions 
13 and their scientists are acting in a highly responsible 
14 way to the need to safeguard communities, while at the 
15 same time allowing valuable recombinant DNA research to 
16 continue. 
17 The responsible records of local committees 
18 in implementing the current guidelines argues well for 
19 their abilities to assume increased authority under the 
20 revised guidelines in a manner that will continue to 
21 assure safety from potential biohazards for those living 
22 in their communities. 
23 Since members of my department were interested 
24 in carrying out research using recombinant DNA techniques, 
25 I was asked by my institution to form a special committee 
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