Recommendations of the Biogenetic Engineering Expert Panel

On February 20, we met to advise the Department of State on
potential developments in, and foreign policy implications of,
genetic engineering over the next two decades. We concluded that
genetic engineering will be one of the most significant scienti-
fic breakthroughs during this administration's term of office,
During the next two decades, these developments will have an impact
on a par with that of unleashing the atom, escaping the earth's
gravity, and developing artificial intelligence. Genetic enginee-
ring holds the promise of revolutionizing agriculture, health

and industry, and offers the U.S. the opportunity for commercial
and scienfific leadership if appropriate steps are taken now.
Listed below are our findings and recommendations. A more de-

tailed summary of the meeting is provided separately.

-- Top priority: we must preserve germplasm on an interna-
tional scale to protect against crop ‘pathogens and loss of

genetic diversity.

-- To enhance commercial competitiveness and demonstrate U.S.
leadership abroad, we need to restore emphasis on the basic
plant sciences, industrial and medical microbiology and
parasitology. We must train new people and provide finan-
cial support over longer periods of time than the usual 3-5

years of competitive grants.
The U.S. should encourage broad exchanges, both to and from
the U.S., with scientists from developed and developing

countries.

We must be ready for, and encourage, massive advances in
waste recycling technologies and pollution reduction, in

energy conserving fashions.

We must develop international standards for patent protec-
tion, safety and liability. The latter is especially
important due to the increasing potential for large-scale

release of micro-organisms into the environment,

We need to focus attention on and develop expertise in
crops that are important to other countries, especially
tropical. Opportunities exist for trade and for increas-

ing food production in developing countries,

While the impact of biomass on world energy supply is uncer-
tain, we will be able to use biotechnologies to replace some
energy-intensive technologies (e.g., improving fermentation
to increase gasohol production; recovering more oil in

situ).

Serious pathogens with military potential already exist;
genetic engineering will not make any that are worse. But
new technologies could be used to destroy or reduce crop
production or increase terrorist threats. At the same

time, our capability to protect against biological warfare
is increasing. With the ability to protect a selected
populace against a biological agent also comes the ability

to use that agent against others.

-- To improve U.S. competitiveness with other developed coun-
tries (especially Japan and the FRG), we need to provide a
depreciation allowance for industrial research and a larger

allowance for industry-university collaborative research.

-~- New technologies will allow us to conquer parasitic and
infectious diseases cost-effectively. It would have tre-
mendous foreign policy value if the U.S. were to launch a

program to eradicate these scourges worldwide.

-- New antibiotics and monoclonal antibodies (which will allow
specifically targeted treatment as for cancer) also will
improve human health in both the developing and developed
world. The resulting increase in longevity and added impe-
tus to population growth generates the need to develop and

disseminate new contraceptive technologies.

-- We must adopt flexible regulations to ensure that over-
regulation does not make us non-competitive with other coun-
tries. We must also encourage other countries to observe
our health and safety standards. Preserving a rational

environment is crucial.
ATTENDEES FOR THE GENETIC ENGINEERING PANEL MEETING

 

Panelists:

Jean Mayer

Winston Brill
William Rutter
Howard Schneiderman
Frank Young

OES Personnel:

AAAS

Thomas Pickering
James Malone

Ann Hollick
Margaret Gould
George Kovach
David McClintock
Bill Walsh

Personnel:
William Carey
Richard Scribner

Other Agency Observers:

OTA ~ Zsolt Harsanyi
NIH - Bernard Talbot
FDA -— Henry Miller

USDA - John Fulkerson
Patent Office - Stan Schlosser
NSF — Norman Cohn or Delill Nasser

Panelists in absentia:
David Baltimore
Joshua Lederberg
Maxine Singer

AID ~ Howard Minners and Lloyd Frederick

Other State Observers:

S/P - Joel Johnson
PM - Leslie Brown