U.S. DEPARTMENT OP HEALTH. EDUCATION. AND WELFARE 
FOR RELEASE IN A.M. PAPERS John Elamphin-- (202) 245-6343 
Friday, December 29, 1978 
Fourteen new members have been appointed to the Department of 
Health, Education, and Welfare ' s Recombinant DNA Advisory 
Committee, HEW Secretary Joseph A. Califano, Jr., announced today. 
The new appointments enlarge the committee from 11 to 25 members, 
and significantly enhance its capacity to deal with the legal, 
ethical and other non-scientif ic issues which surround recombinant 
DNA research. 
The Advisory Committee serves as the principal advisory body 
to the HEW Secretary and to the Director of the National Institutes 
of Health on recombinant DNA policy. 
"While this committee must possess great scientific competence, 
it is important that it also be equipped to offer the best possible 
advice on the ethical, legal, public health and environmental 
issues which relate to recombinant DNA research," the Secretary 
said. "I believe that the members of this committee will offer us 
excellent technical and broader policy guidance on these issues 
as we move forward in this new field of biological exploration." 
The panel will give advice on new types of bacteria for use in 
recombinant DNA experiments, on whether certain presently 
prohibited experiments should be conducted, whether additional 
categories of research should be exempted from the guidelines, and 
on future changes in the guidelines . 
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