3 
At a scientific conference held this past spring in Falmouth, 
Massachusetts, further evidence was given that the insertion of 
recombinant DNA into E. coli K-12 (the principal organism used in 
these experiments) could not transform the bacteria into a dangerous agent 
Dr. Sherwood Gorbach, chairman of the conference, reported there 
was substantial scientific consensus on this matter, not only among 
the molecular biologists in attendance but also among microbiologists 
who work with disease-producing bacteria. 
Additional evidence suggests that the recombinations of DNA 
produced in the laboratory may be very similar to those that occur 
in nature. If further work confirms and extends the evidence presented 
by Dr. Stanley N. Cohen, a distinguished molecular biologist at Stanford 
University, then the alarm about creating new forms of life may be 
put into a new perspective. 
The Report of the Committee on International Activities 
All members previously received the international activities report 
for review. After discussion and minor revision, the Committee voted 
unanimously to submit the amended document to Secretary Califano for 
his review and approval. 
Proposed Revisions to the 1976 NIH Guidelines for Recombinant DNA Research 
Dr. Fredrickson announced that the final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) concerning the Guidelines has recently been approved by the 
Secretary of HEW. He also outlined the following administrative 
mechanism that has been established to deal with matters of interpretation 
of the Guidelines: 
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