Genetic manipulation : the threat or the glory? report / of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology.

  • Australia. Parliament. House of Representatives. Standing Committee on Industry, Science, and Technology
Date:
[1992]
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Genetic manipulation : the threat or the glory? report / of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    1.49 The Asilomar conference “... decided to prohibit experiments that involved the cloning of genes which coded for potential toxins ... The release of any organisms modified by [recombinant DNA techniques] was banned. Experiments which used human DNA were regarded as high risk requiring high levels of physical containment ... Other experiments were graded, taking into account the nature of the donor DNA and the host organism. Experiments using more than 10 litres of culture were not allowed. ... In the USA the National Institutes of Health took responsibility for administering and upgrading these guidelines.”” ; 1.50 All institutions were required to create Institutional Biosafety Committees charged with authorizing research and ensuring that the guidelines were followed. B.2 Regulation in Australia B.2.(1) ASCORD and the RDMC 1.51 The Australian Academy of Sciences sent representatives to the Asilomar conference and subsequently appointed the Academy of Science Committee on Recombinant DNA molecules (ASCORD). ASCORD monitored work, advised on containment procedures, organised training, and established a set of guidelines for contained work. These guidelines were published in 1975 and were influenced by those of the US NIH and the UK.” 1.52 In 1980, due to the burgeoning of the techniques and the imminence of industrial applications, the Commonwealth Government established a committee chaired by Professor Frank Fenner to review the method of surveillance of biotechnology. In response to the Fenner Committee report the Recombinant DNA Monitoring Committee (RDMC) was established in 1981. *° “Its task was to develop and review guidelines for large and small scale work, and to consider the problems associated with the planned release into the environment of organisms containing recombinant DNA. ... [It was required] to report within five Hes of its establishment on the need for monitoring to continue.”” 1.53 Between its creation and the five year review, RDMC produced guidelines for small scale work (the first edition in May 1982), for large scale work in 1984, and an 24 ibid. 25 RDMC: op. cit., p 28 26 _— Delroy, B, Biotechnology Section, Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce: Exhibit 128 p 2 27 Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC): Report for the period 22 August 1988 to June 1989, p 2
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