215 
officials are then, by current Federal statute, criminally prohibited from 
revealing those to any outside source. So that what is being asked here is 
being done today in virtually all Government agencies. 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Dr. Sinsheimer. 
DR. SINSHEIMER: Well, I am afraid that the problem is more complicated 
than that, because they are going to want to introduce new host-vectors, 
probably quite different than E . col i , which will introduce a whole range 
of problems that would really not be covered, even, by existing Guidelines. 
DR. GINSBERG: That's why I would suggest that whoever the consultant 
was be approved of by the NIH Advisory Committee in terms of having the 
expertise to do this. 
MR. HUTT: Well, the NIH Advisory Committee could itself do it. There 
would be no need to go to outside experts. They could be given all the 
information and the rule could be retained that the new HV system would be 
prohibited until the NIH approved it. There is no need to go through any 
artificial means that I can determine. 
DR. ADAMS: With respect to that, Peter, since the Guidelines do not 
strictly apply to industry, there is a question here about certification. 
MR. HUTT: I understand that. What I am saying is if they were extended 
to apply to industry, the same kinds of rules could apply here as apply to 
submissions made on pesticides or new drugs, or any other chemicals, to the 
United States Government. 
DR. ADAMS: Let me repeat, we would have no objection to the mechanism 
that Dr. Ginsberg was suggesting, and have already discussed that with 
Dr. Fredrickson. 
DR. FREDRICKSON: Any other questions for Dr. Adams? 
Dr. Weiss and then Ms. Simring. We will admit two questions from the 
public. Dr. Weiss is from the NRC/National Academy of Sciences. 
DR. WEISS: I would like to ask Mr. Hutt , regarding the suggestion that 
was just made, that the Advisory Committee act as the industrial overseers, 
if in fact the Advisory Committee is bound by the Federal regulations for 
their officials. You are not officials of the Federal Government; you are 
advisors to the Federal Government. Are you criminally bound not to reveal 
secrets? 
MR. HUTT: Yes, because you are special Government employees, and under 
the law a special Government employee is bound by the provision of law which 
forbids revealing of trade secrets that you obtained while you were in your 
Government employ. 
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