R. Rabin


industrial, agricultural, and environmental applications of recombinant
organisms. The U.S. team from the federal agencies was split and could
not agree. To prevent embarrassment and quell congressional inquiries,
the State Department took the lead and gave its proxy to Frank Young,
Commissioner of Food and Drugs. Finally, in December, the issues were
resolved among the representatives of the member nations. Full
acceptance of the report by the OECD Council is assured.
 In June of 1985, in Philadelphia, molecular biologists and ecologists
heatedly debated the issues of intentional release under the aegis of the
American Society for Microbiology. Since this was the first time all sides
squared off in large open sessions, the best to be hoped for was clear
statements of positions. They were admirably summarized by Ed Adelberg
of Yale but, other than agreement to keep talking, the groups seemed far
apart on the safety issue.
 Several congressional committees were readying new hearings and bills.
Congressional leadership under Albert Core, Jr. had been vacated by his
election to the Senate. Mr. Durenberger, his senior in the Senate, and
Representatives Dingle and Fuqua in the House were active, but not fully
visible. But Mr. Gore took November 14, 1985, as his day for confronting
the executive branch. His timing was perfect. EPA had just approved the
field test by Advanced Genetic Sciences, Inc., for the ice-minus
pseudomonads prepared by the method of Lindow and Panopoulos. The
Office of Science and Technology Policy also on that day published in the
Federal Register its decision to establish the Biotechnology Science
Coordinating Committee (BSCC). Mr. Gore chairs the Environmental and
Energy Study Conference. Although it is not a committee or
subcommittee, and he was the only Senator on the dais, the room was
filled with people and TV equipment. For those of us who had to testify, it
was uncomfortably warm and bright from the lights (and also from the
Senator). He attacked the new OSTP committee as being little more than a
discussion group with no authority.
 In December, Mr. Dingle's Subcommittee on Oversight and
 Investigations held hearings, and Senators Durenberger and Baucus
 introduced S. 1967, a bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act.
 Murphy's Law struck bio- and engineering technology with vengeance.
 NASA lost three space vehicles and one crew; the Chernobyl power plant
 exploded; Advanced Genetic Sciences had its license to continue its tests of
 ice-minus bacteria suspended; and the USDA was called before
 congressional committees to explain how Biologics Corporation was
 permitted to test, and licensed to manufacture, its pseudorabies vaccine.
 Last March, Mr. Fuqua introduced H.R. 4452, the Biotechnology