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], ©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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    SUMMARY 1. This report consists of eight chapters. The first three are largely descriptive. Chapters 4 to 7 inclusive cover the philosophical/ethical/social, environmental, human health and legal issues raised in the course of the inquiry. Chapter 8 contains the Committee ’s recommendations for the kind of regulatory structure under which it believes the use of genetic manipulation techniques should be allowed to proceed. 2. The Committee has made 48 recommendations and these are listed after this summary in the order in which they appear in the report. Background information 3. In Chapter 1 some background information is given about cell biology and genetic | manipulation. A brief background history is presented concerning the growth in knowledge of genetics, genetic manipulation, and the development of regulations controlling the use of genetic manipulation techniques. A description is given of the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee (GMAC), its function and its membership. GMAC oversees the safe development of genetic manipulation techniques in Australia and the development of guidelines for such work. 4. The Committee has not considered it necessary for the purposes of this report to exhaustively define the techniques which are involved in genetic manipulation, although this may be necessary in regulations under any legislation which results. Any listing of the techniques which constitute genetic manipulation will need to be kept under review. This is very much a developing area and the need for flexibility in describing the techniques is essential. 5. In interpreting its terms of reference, the Committee decided not to consider the issue Of making deliberate heritable changes to the genes of human beings but to recommend that this be examined in a separate inquiry (see recommendations 1 & 2). Existing system of regulation 6. Chapter 2 of the report outlines the contents of the four existing sets of guidelines which are relevant to genetic manipulation technology. These are the three produced by GMAC or its predecessor, the Recombinant DNA Monitoring Committee (RDMC) . Guidelines for Small Scale Genetic Manipulation Work . Guidelines for Large Scale Work with Recombinant DNA . Procedures for Assessment of the Planned Release of Recombinant DNA Organisms