Minutes Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine Seventh Meeting Held at Brookhaven National Laboratories, Upton, New York, March 13, 1948 (AEC-Acbm 7)

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Advisory Committee f o r Biology and Medicine The seventh meeting of the Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine ofthe Atomic Energy Commission was convened by the Vice Chairman, Dr,Ernest F. Goodpasture a t 1:30 p.m. atthe Brookhaven National Laboratories, Upton, Mew York, Present at the meeting Members were the following members: D r s . E. IT. Goodpasture, Director,Division of Biology and Medicine, Drs. John Ur. David Low, Mr.. Robert Tumbleson, Mr. John Derry, and Brookhaven of the Biology Department; Dr. L. B. Borst, Leader of

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t ives of Mr,Eldon C. Shoup, Executive Vice President ; and Gn ivers i ties MI-. John Jameson, Asst. Treasurer. Minutes of The first order of business presented to the Meeting of Committee by the Vice Chairman was a discussion of February 14, the minutes of the meeting of February 14, 1948. 1948 Dr. Hastings made'a motion t o adopt the minutes, motion was seconded by Dr. Bronk and unanimously Report on Progress of t h e Fellowship Program: Organization within theN a tic nal Research Council : D r . Detlev 3:. Brorik, Chairman, Waticnal Research Council, discussed inconsiderable detail the organization proposed by the National Research Council for the implement ation of the Fellowship Program as sponsored by the Atomic Energy Comnission. Dr. Bronk stated that inasmuch as there will be a fellowship program available in physical sciences under the categories of physics, chemistry, mathematics, astrophysics,possibly geoloey, and others, as reported to him by Dr. Holbrook 14. IbIacNeille, Chief, Fundamental Resaarch Branch, Research Division, as well as in bio loa and medicine, it was deemed wise toset up five new committees inthe National Research Council, The committees will handle the administ ration of the Fellowship Trogram and the selection of

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cm didn tes. The nam(3s of the Chairman of ezch ofthe committaes are icc or pore ted in the following st2tement as issued by the Nctionel Research Com c il : "The National Research Council i s announcing a r,ew program of fellowships supported by funds provided by the Atomic Znergy Commission as aprt of the Commission ' s responsibility for future atomic energy research. Accordingly, these fallowships %-ill be awarded inthe many fields of science related to research in atomic energy and t h e products of atomic energy processes. A considerable number of these fellowships area vc il able t o young men and women who viish to continue in gr z duat e training or research for the doctorate in an appropriate field of science. Others of these fellowships will provide training in biophysics cpp lied to the control of radiation hazards. An additional number of fell om hips will be assigned to those below the ago of 35 who hsve already achieved the doctorate and v;.ho wish to secure advanced research training and experience in those aspects of the physical,biological and medical sciences related to atomic energy. "The c2.ndidatos will be selected by the fellowship boards of the National Research Council established for this program. In the postdoctoral fia ld,there will be three groups of fellowships. for advanced reso arch and training in thc gen aral field of ths physical scienc cs,a board has been established with Dr. Roger Adams, Professor of Chemistry, University of Illinois, as Chairman, In the general fic ld of the biological sciences, exclusive of the medical sciences, se lcc t ions of postdoctoral fellows will be made by a Chancellor of the lh ivers it y of Nebraska, For th z s elz c - tion of postdoctoral fellorm inthe medical sciences,a board has been set up under the chairmanship of Dr. Homcr P. Smith, Professor of Ph y sio loa,College of Medicine, New York University. For the selection of fellows The program providzs for two groups of fellovrs inth e11 pre doctor nlf iz ld. One group of f sl lows will work inthe biological and basic medical sciences including applied biophysics relating to the measuroment cnd control of radiation hazards and thc effect of radiation upon he cl th. Selections will be made by II board under the chairmanship

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of Dr. Douglcs Yhitzker, Professor of Biology, ?.nd Dean ofthe School of Biological Sciences, Stanford University. Another group of pre doctoral fellow will be selected for study and resoarch in the gene rc l field of the physical sciences. S clc ct ions will be made by a board under the chnirmanship of Dr. Henry A. Barton, Dir s ctor of American Institute of Physics. "Awards will be made for the academic yecr 1948-49. The program i s administered by the Nationcl Research Council, Further informntion can be socured by writing t o the Fellowship Office, 3Istional Research Council, 2101 Constitution Avenue, Kcshington 25, D. C." There in sn general discussion of the stipends of fellowships to be awarded and Dr. Bronk was of the belief that this could be ironed out in conferences among the committees and in all probability an agreement will be reached at $3,000 as the basic stipend.Dr. Bronk thought it worthy of mention that of the five chnirmen thnt heve accepted appointments three of them ware outside the Northeastern Area, one from California, one from Nebraska The subj2ct of income tpz was discussed and Dr. Bronk stated that the fellowships mul d not be subject to deduction for income taxes as inquiry has been made of U. S. Public Heclth Service as to their fellowships and word hcs been received from them that they had been adjudged free of such deductions. Varren which clarified the ha had a letter from Dr.Shields relation of the Nntional Research

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Council with the Atomic Zn era Commission i n regard t o prddoctornte f sl low ships in biology and medicine. Tho letter rzads 2 s follows: "On Januzry 28, 1948, the Conimission3rs approved n trn in ing program for scientists in tho medic2.1 and bio los ical aspects 'of rtomic anergy. On Janu-ry 24, 1948 tho Genaral Xanager signed a letter to you re quo sting that thc National Resecrch Council undertcka the ndminist ration of such 3 program. Subsequently, the revere preliminary conversations in regard t o this program between various representatives of theN ct ional Resaarch Council and t h e Atomic Energy Commission. "The proposal from your of fico expressing the willing - ness of the National Research Council to administer this program vas received, and atthz meeting ofthe Advisory Committee for Biology and Msdicine of tho Atomic Energy Commission of February 14, 1948, certain broad policies were there delineated. This latter is to ssr veto st rte the views of the Advisory Comiittoe for' Biology and Medicine r.nd the Division of Biology End Medicine ofthe Atomic Energy Commission. "The Advisory Committee f o r Biology and Medicine and this Division would like to see established within the National Research Council a subcommittee of the National Research Council on Fellowships of thz Atomic Znergy Commission for training in biology, mcdicine, znd h e - lth physics. It was further suggestzd th z t this sub corn it tee should develop under it appr opr i zte panels in biology rind agriculture and inthe medical sciences. Not over seventyfive post doo toral fellowships would b2 warded by these two panels in the scholastic year 1948 as two-year followships,Of this number, approximately one - third would be i n biology and agriculture &and two-thirds i n medical scicncus. No hard -rad fast division is intended. "A third fellowship pm el constituted under the overall - Committee vmuld have responsibility of the selection of 100 pre doctoral follows. of pre doctoral research caliber, and (b)those studying health physics at the technical level. This fellowship training including

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"The Atomic Znergy Comnission id11 provide sufficient funds t o coTnr poymcnt of fellowships tip nds, reimbursement for tuition and necessary laboratory fees of insti - tut ions providing training, expenses incident to the convening of the appropriate fell om hip boards and the other expenses nec essr ry for the mnintannnce of a n adequnte administrative or gz niz ation within the National Council will select the fellows, r.nd according t o your offer,o pcr zte the administrative and f is c zl details of the progr?.m, including sot ting of stipends(in conjunction with tho Division of Biology and I%dicine of the'iltomic pri ate records on fellows, and necessary accounting. The Division of Biology and Medicine of the Atomic Energy Comnission will develop teaching progrzms as necessary with such institutions or other facilities as it may select, and vrill pass on the programs of the fellows. The need of preserving to the felloiv in it iz tiw in the plrce and type of trn in ing is recognized. "It may be necessary to provide a period of fundamental training so th ct the fellows may gcin maximum bsn ef it from the fellowship program. %ile this is regrettable,th s critical shortage of trained personnel dictates that such expediency is justifiable.Itis undcrstood that a tdl times thero will be complete exchange betwecn Vat ional Research Council 2nd Atomic Energy Commission of knowledge and ideas so necessary to the success of sucha progrnm. "This Division is deaply grateful for the willingness of tho National Research Council t o undsrtake this progrzm, which i s expectcd t o continue for five years or as long as is necessary to mnintnin an adequate nunber of personnel in training in these part icu lz r fields. ' ' the training program up to the present time by discussing Uni vs rsi ty of North Carolina, State College of the

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University of North Carolina, %ke Forest Collega, Boumm Gray School o f ldedicine of "ake Forest College, Rice Institute, Baylor University School o f Medicine, University of Colorsdo, University of Colorado School of Medicine, University of Denver, Reed College, and University of Oregon School of Yedicine, on his recent trip around the country. He s toted plans and ideas are now crystalizing ct a11 of the selected universities to have the programs get underway early inthe fall, Bowers omphasized to the representatives of each university that the Division of Biology and Medicine would rather develop a different type of tr c in in gat each university in order t:, keep the training as clastic as possible ? Furthermore Dr. Bowers suggested to er ch group that they undertake c. broad program i n biology and medicine with reference to broad dissemination of knowledge i n atomic energy in the irrespective areas. suggested that ' l selected instructors at basic training centers be urged t o spend the summer a t one of the Atomic Energy Commission installations to familiarize themsjlves with the problems in order that thay may plan the courses they will give with a better understanding ofthe needs of the fellows,Health ph y sio is ts and others could

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cooperate with instructors in the pre parc tion of the He suggested that the best qualified applicants for Her.lth Physics Fellowships be given the opportunity to acquire a brocd training in biophysics leading to a in this field in Atomic Energy Commission installations, universities, and industry. Sugges.tion that clearance of visiting instructors be obtained beforehznd. " Medical Xspects of Ik zard Pay: The Committze thoroughly discussed the medical aspects of haznrd pay and recommended thct exposure to permissible dosage of radi2.tion and exposure to toxic meterizl under satisfactory s afc gu wds be rzghrdsd as not hazardous t o Policy with Regard t o Encourcgcncnt of Commercial unanimously rpproved that the Committee approve i n principle thc encouragement of aommercial firms t o undertake synthesis of rn dio active compounds end suggested exploring the legal nspocts of contractual aid.

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Policy r:ith Regard t o Isotope Fzrms: The basic premise of isotope farming isto grow plants in media th nt cont n in radioactive isotopes th nt will synthesize them into organic compounds which may in turn be fedto animcls 2nd elaborated into other compounds. These compounds could be isola tz d and used for tracer experiments. importance in this connection. The question of what level of radi rti on should be used Carbon 14 i s one o f major P3" would be another. to get the most effective combination of highest activity with survival of the organism. is still open. unanimously approved that up t o $15,000 be made mail - able to explore the possibilities of " isotope farming. " li. S. Department of Bgricultture: Dr. Viarren roportvd on his recent con v z rs at ions with Dr. P. V. Cnrdon of the Bureau of Plat Industry reg?.rding determining the in f lucnce of rz dio active mcterials on plant growth. The Soils Division of the Department of Agriculture proposes toact through the Experimentrl Station to determine the effect of low activities of particularly alpha butto some extent bsta and gcma rcd i ation on the growth and vigor of seedlings and the maturity of various crops.

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for Biology 2nd Ik di cine and the Division of Biology 2nd At2 : 3 0 p.m. the Committee went into executive Brookhaven Mctional Laboratories : There was an extensive discussion of the program i n bic logy at Brookhcven. app reh n sion that n relatively karge group of personnel was being developed in biology ct Brookhnven without adz quite cvidoncc of an integrated program with the The Committee noted with some degree of guidcnce that is des irc ble in rn installation of this importance, The Committee recommended that personnel inthe Division of Biology be frozen rt the present lev eJ,md that emphasis b6 placed on the provision of facilities for guest ir vest i gators rather than as a t present, exclusive emphasis on the building up of a local group of investigators, Division of Biology and Iledicine was requested to trans - mit this viewpoint toDr.Philip J. Norsa, Director of the Brookhaven National Laboratories, and toDr. Leslie Nims, Chairman, Biology Department, and to explore with The Director of the

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them the best means o f mzking facilities availczble for guest investigators. The Committzc felt th nt the projected addition all zb oratory and greenhouse fac il it ios being planned o r constructed should be pushcd t o complecon vs rsi on of three of the old hospital buildings to provide a 40-bed hospital for medical cars and medical research should bo carried on promptly. Tie problem of civilian defense was discussed in the light of the interest shown by many doctors and civic officials in this problem. The broad plm s for the newly created Office of Civilian Defense were discussed and to transmit the Committee's in t crust and willingness to assist in a Civilian Defcnsa Progrzm to the Co mission ers. Program The Committee recomnendal that the program i n biophysics atv z riou sun iv s rsi ties be studied with a view to providing them increased support and strengthening their facilities where it would be to the advantage of t h e Atomic Energy Commission. Research Insti - …