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BioTechnica International 
85 Bolton Street, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02140 
Telephone (617) 864-0040 
Comments on Revised Guidelines for Research 
Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules 
January 13, 1983 
BioTechnica International, Inc. is a private firm, 
located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that abides by the NIH 
Guidelines in accordance with local ordinance. The Cambridge 
ordinance also mandates certain administrative practices which 
pertain to the questions you have asked. In the following 
comments, we will restrict ourselves to remarks on the 
Guidelines themselves, while perhaps mentioning in passing 
the effects of the Cambridge ordinance on IBC function. 
BioTechnica is still in its organizational phase, and we 
are operating only in Interim Laboratories. At this time, the 
BioTechnica Biosafety Committee meets every other month, each 
session lasting 60-90 minutes. After the permanent laboratories 
open (expected in February 1983), and our scientific staff 
expands, the Committee might need to meet more frequently. 
At this writing, nine (9) recombinant DNA projects are 
underway at BioTechnica, and six (6) of them involve only 
exempt experiments. The other three projects involve some 
exempt experiments, but include others that are conducted at 
PI containment under Section III-C of the Guidelines. However, 
under Cambridge ordinance, all recombinant DNA experiments 
(including those exempt from the Guidelines) must be 
registered with the Committee and conducted at PI contain- 
ment. 
Even though no Committee action has been required, 
consideration of these projects (even those entirely exempt) 
has taken up a good deal of time at Committee meetings to 
date. There is generally a brief discussion of the proposed 
experiments and their objective, with suitable explanation for 
the community representatives. To date, there have been no 
controversies within the Committee over the adequacy of 
containment levels. Other issues which have taken up the 
Committee's time are our medical surveillance program, the 
recent changes in the NIH Guidelines, and various other 
administrative matters. 
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