January 27, 1983 
University of 
Arkansas 
for Medical 
Sciences 
4301 W. Markham 
Little Rock, Arkansas 
72205 
Dr. William J. Gartland, Jr., Director 
Office of Recombinant DNA Activities 
National Institutes of Health 
Building 31, Room 4A52 
Bethesda, Maryland 20205 
Dear Dr. Gartland: 
In response to your request for information on how our IBC 
is functioning under the revised N.I.H. Guidelines for Research 
Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules, I would like to provide the 
following information. In general, we find the current guide- 
lines written more clearly and easier to understand than some of 
the previous versions. Responsibilities are clearly stated and 
easy to interpret. It must be pointed out that the number of 
investigators at our institution utilizing recombinant DNA tech- 
niques has been relatively small, though this is changing at a 
rapid rate. Most investigators who are utilizing these techniques 
are doing routine procedures using E. coli K-12 derivatives and 
either pBR-322 or Charon phage systems. 
Due to our low work load, so far very few items are taking 
large amounts or inappropriate amounts of time, particularly 
since a committee format is utilized. 
The RAC's recommendations appear to be reached after careful 
and thoughtful consideration and, so far, we feel they are fair 
and justified. We have no problems with the levels of containment 
recommended. The Guidelines, as they are currently presented, 
also appear reasonable. They provide assurance to a public which 
still remains somewhat skeptical of this type of research and, if 
they were anymore relaxed, we would likely face the specter of 
local regulation. This latter possibility has to be avoided. 
The Guidelines are not so stringent as to delay or inhibit reason- 
able experiments. 
The IBC at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is 
a subcommittee of a longstanding Biosafety Committee. I am the 
only member in common between the two committees. The Biosafety 
Committee meets monthly, and the IBC meets as needed to review 
problems, proposals, requests, etc. This is usually once every 
two- three months. 
* 
If I may provide additional information, I will be happy to do so. 
Sincerely 
James W. Hardin, Ph.D. 
Associate Professor of Medicine 
and Biochemistry 
[ 599 ] 
