THE ROCKEFELLER UNIVERSITY 
12 30 YORK AVENUE • NEW YORK, NEW YORK 100 21 
September 5, 1978 
Dr. Donald Fredrickson, Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bldg. 1 Rm. 124 
Bethesda, MD 20014 
Dear Don: 
It must be apparent to all but the most stubborn observers that the 
great promise of research with recombinant DNA has been and continues to be 
fulfilled. Numerous significant advances in our knowledge of basic biology 
have been made. Sooner than expected directly useful products will be 
available. However it is not ny purpose to tout these advances. The recent 
literature abounds with than. Rather I 'm writing to support the immediate 
promulgation of the PRG for this work so that the work may proceed in the most 
efficient and flexible manner. 
These PRG's for recombinant ENA research are obviously the result of most 
diligent and expert considerations. I am particularly pleased to see that the 
process, begun four years ago, is moving forward. Those of us who were involved 
in these initial discussions of recombinant DNA envisaged a continuing peer 
review process in which containment levels for particular experiments would 
be determined by the best current scientific knowledge. The reports of the 
expert committees were not only thorough in justifying the recommended contain- 
ment levels but are also little gems of more generally useful scientific infor- 
mation. 
Two points in the PRG are particularly noteworthy, the exemptions and the 
new responsibilities of the I.B.C. The clear exemption of free recombinant 
ENA from the guidelines is a considerable step forward. Not only does this 
facilitate the manipulations needed to characterize DNA study by electron 
microscopy, restriction enzyme cleavage, etc., but it also recognizes the fact 
that DNA itself is not in any way a "toxic" substance. Unfortunately, the idea 
that DNA functions only as heredity information has been difficult to explain. 
In ny own experience audiences and reporters exhibit considerable surprise that 
E.M. pictures of Rec-DNA look just like any other DNA. Being able to cite the 
PRG on ENA will help. 
The exemption for self-cloning and E. coli related microorganisms are also 
a welcome addition. There should have been such a category from Asilomar onward. 
Few can maintain that such experiments had any potential, conjectural or other 
level of hazard. Cloning coliphage lambda and putting it back together or inserting 
[A-80] 
