29 
primary role of RAC, however, is to serve the public interest. In this 
service, concrete measures to control disease have precedence over hypo- 
thetical considerations which might be raised over what somebody might do 
scmeday. 
Dr. Landy said he was personally offended by Mr. Rifkin's implication that 
American researchers would not feel carpel led to research diseases that 
are not endemic to the United States. 
Dr. Miller underscored the public health importance of the research preposed 
by Dr. O'Brien. He urged RAC to recommend conditions which would permit 
this resear cii to proceed. Dr. Miller felt the: 
"...issue of convertibility to biological warfare is really... not an 
issue at all, but rather... a manifestation of vhat the British journal 
Nature in the May 24th issue alluded to in describing Mr. Rifkin as 
someone whose nuisance to substance ratio is high." 
Dr. Rapp said a toxin is came type of virulence factor. If the words 
"virulence factors" were used instead of the word "toxin", many experiments 
with important health problem applications would be part of the convertibil- 
ity discussion. 
Dr. Rapp strongly supported Dr. Landy’ s comments. He offered as an exajple 
the research being conducted in the U.S. on malaria. He did not think the 
U.S. was going to invade West Africa because U.S. researchers are studying 
malaria. Malaria is an important international health problem and most U.S. 
researchers consider themselves international scientists attempting to 
solve world health problems. Dr. Walters agreed. 
Dr. McGarrity pointed to Appendix F as evidence that RAC and the Working 
Group on Toxins have deliberated long and hard in considering recombinant 
DNA experiments involving toxin genes. 
Dr. Gottesman said the concern that this research might be converted to 
uses scientists would not approve is one reason scientists began the process 
of evaluating applications of the recombinant DNA technique. This concern 
was discussed at Asilomar. The RAC meets in epen session to keep the 
public aware of the issues. 
Dr. Gottesman said she was bothered a great deal by Mr. Rifkin's implica- 
tion that these experiments are more likely to be misused because the 
investigators are associated with USUllS. She said this is "guilt by 
association." Sire rejected this implication and urged RAC to approve the 
working group recommendations concerning Dr. O'Brien's April 4, proposal. 
Mr. Rifkin said: 
"...it’s rather disingenuous for tire committee to suggest that I'm only 
interested in diseases that affect the United States nf America and, 
