The rDNA debate was initiated by the molecular biologists leading the research, and within a year expanded to include the public. Fourteen key participants representing molecular biologists, government agencies, Congress, scientific societies, the media, and public policy reflect on the debate in The Gene-Splicing Wars. Well-known contributors include Donald Fredrickson, Zsolt Harsanyi, Harold Schmeck, and others. Their reflections provide not only an integrated personal record of the debate but, most importantly, a guide to more effective procedures for dealing with current and future technical issues.
The debate began, with the 1973 Science letter representing the views of attendees at a Gordon Research Conference on molecular biology. "We are writing to you, on behalf of a number of scientists, to communicate a matter of deep concern...." the letter said. After the key meeting of scientists and lawyers at Asilomar, Fredrickson, who was director of the National Institutes of Health from 1975 ...
