such as, "unmodified transposons (wild-type) of plants and 
bacteria that become inserted...." Dr. Roberts suggested 
retroviruses simply be excluded and added they are sometimes 
referred to as retroposons instead of transposons. 
Mr. Mannix asked if by excluding retroviruses from the definition 
of what is not recombinant DNA would result in their being 
considered recombinant DNA. Dr. Roberts agreed that it was a 
problem, but a practical solution may be to exclude retroviruses. 
Dr. Cohen asked whether it might not be better to list such 
experiments as exempt and simply add the proposed wording to 
Section III-D of the NIH Guidelines rather than attempting to 
change the definition of "recombinant DNA." Dr. Vidaver said she 
had no quarrel with such a proposal. 
Mr. Mannix said he did not believe the intent of the proposal was 
to change the definition of "recombinant DNA," but that by 
listing it as an exemption it would be saying, by implication, 
that it had been included in the original definition. He said he 
would rather keep it as a clarification of what has always been 
the definition of "recombinant DNA." 
Dr. Vidaver said her original thinking was that it be a footnote. 
She had no quarrel with where it was inserted, but it should be 
made explicit somewhere in the NIH Guidelines . 
Dr. McGarrity suggested that Dr. Vidaver and interested members 
meet at the afternoon coffee break and formulate a revised 
proposal and bring it back with concrete suggestions as to where 
it should be placed in the NIH Guidelines. He then recessed the 
Committee for the afternoon coffee break asking them to return at 
2:45 p . m . 
Dr. McGarrity called the final session to order and called on 
Dr. Vidaver to continue discussion of the proposed amendment to 
Section I-B of the NIH Guidelines. 
Dr. Vidaver said an ad hoc committee of interested RAC members 
had devised the following substitute proposal to be considered as 
a clarifying statement in Section I-B of the NIH Guidelines: 
"Genomic DNA of plants and bacteria that has acquired 
an unmodified (wild-type) transposable element, even if 
the latter was donated from a recombinant vector no 
longer present, is not subject to these Guidelines." 
Dr. Vidaver noted this statement is restricted to plants and 
bacteria and allows for dealing with animal issues at a later 
time. Drs. Gellert and Erickson said this would meet with their 
approval. Dr. Roberts said the parenthetical expression of 
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