Scripps -Clinic and Research Foundation 
10666 North lorrey Pines Road 
La lolla. California 92037 (714) 455-9100 
August 22, 1978 
Donald S. Fredrickson, M.D. 
Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
RE: Recombinant DNA Research 
Proposed Revised Guidelines 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson: 
Since the beginning of the recombinant DNA affair, I have never 
seen evidence to substantiate the view that any organism containing any 
artificially produced recombinant DNA molecule is more pathogenic than 
Therefore, no regulations are needed whatsoever, because none have been 
required with known pathogens. 
I suggest the whole set of guidelines be replaced by the following 
sentence: 
"It would seem prudent to conduct work with organisms containing 
recombinant DNA under laboratory conditions appropriate to the 
degree of pathogenicity of the donor organisms." 
We find ourselves in a horrible mess created by a few scientists 
who have behaved in a totally unscientific and irresponsible manner 
under the banner of "responsibility." This unscientific activity has 
been going on for some time, as I try to show in the enclosed article. 
the donor from which it was formed. No such evidence is known to science. 
Yours sincerely 
CAT : dw 
enc. 
Charles A. Thomas, Jr. 
Chairman, Department of 
Cellular Biology 
"Fanciful Future of 
Gene Transfer Experiments" 
Brookhaven Symposia, No. 29, 1977 
