I. CALL TO ORDER AND OPENING REMARKS 
Mr. Mitchell, Chair, called the September 29, 1986, meeting of the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee (RAC) to 
order. He stated that the meeting had been publicly announced in the Federal Register on June 25, 1986, and August 
15, 1986, in conformity with law, and that the meeting is open to the public. 
Dr. Gartland informed Mr. Mitchell that a quorum was present for the September 29, 1986, meeting. Mr. Mitchell 
stated that there were three major actions on the meeting agenda and that in chairing the meeting his intention was to 
discuss items in the order they appeared on the agenda and to attempt to maintain time estimates as stated in the agenda 
for each item. The major items were noted as Agenda Items IV, V, and VI; and Mr. Mitchell pointed out that all three 
had been previously published in the Federal Register . 
Mr. Mitchell went on to state that he would recognize speakers in the following order primary reviewers; other RAC 
members; ad hoc consultants; non-voting representatives to the RAC; RAC's administrative staff; members of the 
public who submitted written documents or comments; and finally other members of the public who may wish to 
comment He then stated that comments may be submitted after the meeting and that these comments may be used to 
assist the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH) , in arriving at a decision on any agenda item. 
Mr. Mitchell then introduced Dr. Paul Neiman, a new member of RAC, who was making his first appearance at a RAC 
meeting. Dr. Neiman is from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington. He also welcomed 
back Dr. McGonigle, who had been ill for a period. He then turned to Dr. Gerard McGarrity, previous Chair of the RAC 
Working Group on Release into the Environment and now Chair of the RAC Working Group on Definitions, to 
announce that he was serving the RAC at this meeting as an ad hoc consultant. He also welcomed Dr. Elizabeth 
Milewski, an ex-member of the RAC staff, who is now working for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 
n. MINUTES OF THE JANUARY 21 . 1986. RAC MEETING 
Mr. Mitchell called on Dr. Musgrave to review the minutes (tab 1274) of the January 27, 1986, meeting of the RAC. 
Dr. Musgrave stated that he had reviewed the minutes and found that they appeared to be correct . 
Dr. Musgrave moved the minutes be approved as they appear in tab 1274. Dr. Walters seconded the motion. Mr. 
Mitchell called for any other additions, deletions or corrections, and hearing none put the motion to a vote. The motion 
to approve the minutes as appearing in tab 1274 was unanimously approved. 
IE. REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP ON DEFINITIONS 
Mr. Mitchell called on Dr. McGarrity to present the report (tab 1280) of the Working Group on Definitions. 
Dr. McGarrity stated the Working Group on Definitions is a new group, formed this summer, made up predominantly 
of former and present members of RAC, and that many of this group had also been a part of the Working Group on 
Release into the Environment. The charge that had been put to the group was to consider the current definitions of 
"recombinant DNA" and "deliberate release into the environment" as is used in the NIH Guidelines for Recombinant 
DNA Research . 
Dr. McGarrity then stated that since the working groups were advisory to RAC, the RAC would have the following 
options in regard to the recommendations he would be presenting: 
1. Reject them outright saying that they are not needed or they are bad or 
not worthy of consideration. 
2. Accept the definitions completely, as presented, and in that case they 
would have to be published in the Federal Register for public comment 
and re-presented to RAC for a vote at the next meeting. 
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