UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA 
School of Medicine -Box 441 
CHARLOTTESVILLE. VIRGINIA 22901 
DEPARTMENT OP MICROBIOLOGY 
August 21 , 1978 
Donald S. Frederickson, M.D. 
Di rector 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
Dear Dr. Frederickson: 
I am writing to offer my wholehearted support of the Proposed 
Revised Guidelines for Recombinant DNA Research as reported in the 
Federal Register of Friday, July 28, 1978 (Part IV). 
After reading the documents carefully, I can endorse, without 
any reservations , all the proposed guidelines proposed by the Re- 
combinant DNA Advisory Committee. I also believe you were wise to 
retain and expand the restriction on mouth pipetting for all re- 
combinant DNA research and to warn against the prospect of lifting 
all restrictions in the future. My colleagues and I have no objec- 
tions to any of the well-considered guidelines and their supervision 
by local committees with public representation. 
You and Secretary Califano are to be congratulated on your ex- 
cellent statements and the exceedingly well balanced manner in which 
you have handled this whole thorny affair. You certainly have the 
support of the overwhelming majority of the scientific community 
and, I am sure, of most of the public at large. Great strides can 
now be made under reasonable conditions affording virtually absolute 
safety. I would only strongly urge the Secretary to delegate to 
you and your Advisory Committee the authority to continue your re- 
view of the guidelines in the future in order to be able to revise 
them as required when new data become available. 
I trust that the revised guidelines can be implemented without 
delay following the public hearing in September. 
Sincerely yours , 
RRW : 1 rp 
Robert R. Wagner, M.D. 
Professor and Chairman 
[A-32] 
