7 
environments. It is simply not true that the strain of E. 
coli — namely, Chi 1776 — to be used at Ft. Detrick is found in the 
human gut since, as will be seen, it has been chosen specifically 
because of its inability to survive in the human gut. 
(2) Although the E^ coli , host organism, 
to be used in the experiment at Ft. 
Detrick is weakened, it may exchange 
genetic information with wild strains of 
E. coli or may survive enough outside a 
laboratory to cause illness. Affidavits 
116, 7. 
The Society concurs with the defendants that the strain 
to be used at Ft. Detrick, Chi 1776, "is unable to colonize the 
human intestinal tract, causes no human or animal disease 
and presents no threat to the environment Defs. Memorandum 
p. 11. 
Chi 1776 cannot survive outside of special laboratory conditions 
and in fact human bile is deadly to the particular strain 
to be used at Ft. Detrick. The experimental strains of Chi 1776 
have been designed for self-destruction outside the laboratory 
as they require thymine and diaminopimelic acid. There are 
not enough of these compounds in the general environment to 
sustain Chi 1776's existence. Consequently, in the outside 
world they quickly expire. Further, not only is Chi 1776 not a 
pathogen to man but deliberate attempts to make its progenitor 
E . coli Kl 2 pathogenic have failed. Moreover, the addition 
of foreign DNA to a bacterium is likely to decrease rather 
than increase its chances of survival outside a laboratory. 
There is now no reasonable doubt of Chi 1776's safety 
as a recombinant host. The threat of Chi 1776 being converted 
into a pathogen and surviving outside the laboratory is 
virtually impossible. Use of Chi 1776 constitutes the best 
known biological containment of the recombinant DNA. 
(3) Polyoma virus was first discovered 
in 1960 and there is insufficient knowledge 
in the last 17 years of its cancer 
potential. Affidavit 1J8. 
[Appendix C — 149] 
