14 
against excessive zeal to protect society from all risks, however minor. 
Such activity would particularly cripple science — the principal tool 
that our civilization has fashioned to improve the condition of man 
in this world. 
Specific Sections 
Section 2. Findings 
The committee amendment which substitutes the words “may be” 
for the word “is” (page 2, line 17) is designed to prevent misinterpre- 
tation of the fact that recombinant DNA research, at present, carries 
with it no known or demonstrated risk — only that such a risk may be 
uncovered in the future. It should be clear that the committee is not 
presuming that recombinant DNA research does in fact pose a risk to 
health or the environment. 
Section 101. Definitions 
(2) Recombinant DNA 
Although the report of the Committee on Interstate and foreign 
Commerce states that subparagraph (A) contains an operational defi- 
nation of recombinant DNA, designed to be consistent with that in the 
proposed revisions to the NIH Guidelines, the definition in the legisla- 
tion is not precisely the same as the existing guidelines nor is it precisely 
the same as the proposed revisions to the guidelines. The bill defines the 
term recombinant DNA as : 
(A) molecules which are formed by joining together DNA 
segments outside of living cells and which have the capacity to 
enter a cell and to replicate in such cell either autonomously 
or after they have become an integrated part of such cell's 
genome ; or 
(B) are the result of a replication of the DNA molecules 
described in subparagraph (A). 
The NIH guidelines now in effect (June 23, 1976) define recombinant 
molecules as : 
molecules that consist of different segments of DNA which 
have been joined together in cell-free systems, and which have 
the capacity to infect and replicate in some host cell, either 
autonomously or as an integrated part of the host’s genome. 
The proposed revisions to the NIH guidelines published in the Fed- 
eral Register, vol. 42, no. 187, September 27, 1977 define recombinant 
DNA as : 
molecules consisting of segments of DNA from different 
genomes which have been joined end-to-end outside living 
cells and have the capacity to infect some host cell and be 
maintained therein. These Guidelines, however, pertain only 
to “novel recombinant DNAs”, here defined as molecules that 
consist of segments of any DNA from different species that 
are not known to exchange chromosomal DNA by natural 
physiological processes. 
It is important not to confront the investigator in recombinant 
DNA research with an ambiguous situation with regard to the re- 
search which will be affected by the proposed legislation. Even though 
[Appendix B — 202] 
