15 
Dr. Nightingale said respondees urged that the listing of low and moderate 
risk oncogenic viruses in Sections B-II-A and B-II-B of Appendix B be 
clarified. These viruses are not classified with a particular risk spec- 
ification as are other agents in the Appendix. To further confuse matters, 
these viruses are listed in the text between Class 4 and Class 5 agents. 
Dr. Nightingale expressed hope that the working group chaired by Dr. Barkley 
would resolve this issue. 
In summary, Dr. Nightingale said the comments from IBCs on the whole were 
very supportive of the Guidelines, and there were no major problems. 
Dr. Nightingale said the Working Group on Revision of the Guidelines then 
discussed the desirability of expediting reviews of proposals received 
between RAC meetings, as the period of time elapsing between RAC meetings 
is increasing. The working group concluded, after some discussion, that 
the items that come to the full RAC for evaluation are important and 
complex; and, therefore, the current procedures should be retained for the 
time being. 
Dr. Nightingale said the working group discussed the proposal, to be evalu- 
ated by RAC later in the meeting, to incorporate the Physical Containment 
Recommendations for Large-Scale Uses of Organisms Containing Recombinant 
DNA Molecules into the Guidelines. (See Item XIV. Proposed Incorporation 
into Guidelines of Physical Containment Recommendations for Large-Scale 
Uses of Organisms Containing Recombinant DNA Molecules . ) The working group 
agreed that the Recommendations should be incorporated into the Guidelines. 
! 
Dr. Nightingale said the working group then discussed the status of the RAC 
subcommittees. Dr. Nightingale said the RAC charter stipulates three 
subcommittees: the Risk Assessment Subcommittee, the Host-Phage Subcom- 
mittee, and the Host-Plasmid Subcommittee. The subcommittees are standing 
committees authorized in the charter. Working groups, on the other hand, 
are not provided for in the charter but can be created by the RAC to serve | 
a specific function and dissolved when no longer necessary. 
i 
Dr. Nightingale noted that two of the three subcommittees, the Host-Phage 
and the Host-Plasmid Subcommittees, have not met for some time, and no 
issues will be placed before them in the foreseeable future. The Working 
Group on Revision of the Guidelines suggested that the process to revise 
the RAC charter to delete these two subcommittees be initiated; and also 
that two of the current working groups, the Working Group on Revision of 
the Guidelines and the Plant Working Group, be changed to subcommittees. 
Dr. Nightingale asked if the RAC would have to vote on this suggestion. 
Dr. Talbot replied that no vote was necessary and that if no RAC members 
objected (and none did), NIH staff would proceed to request the charter 
changes. These changes would require final action by the Secretary of the 
Department of Health and Human Services. 
Dr. Nightingale said the working group also discussed the P4 physical 
containment specif ications. That topic will be discussed later in the RAC 
meeting. (See Item VII. Preposed Modification of P4 Containment . ) 
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