Minutes Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine Seventeenth Meeting Held at Atomic Energy Commission, Washington, D.C. September 10, 1949

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Bdvlsory Committee f o r Biology and Wedicine The seventeenth meeting of the Advlsory Committee f o r Biology and ldedicine o f the Atomic Energy Commission t h e Vice Chairman, D,r?EFnest Goodpasture, presiding. Dro Detlev w. bonk Dr, Alan Gregg was Db leto be present Atomic Enerq Commission

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o f the Atomic Znergy CcjmEission and particularly the staffs o f the Dfvision of Biology and Medicine and the Division of Public and Techn'Lcal Information Service as The Committee commended the staff well as area, personnel and cooperating investigators who contributed'Tb,mpking the Sixth Semiannual Report, which was focused pGlmarily on the biological and medical aspects o f atomic energy, such a n outstanding Mixutes o f Meeting of June 11, 1949, The minutes of the last meeting (&ne 11, 1949) were approved unanimously on a motion made by Dr. Hastings and seconded by D r , Report on Research Projects, The projects which have been approved md also those declined by the Division of Biology and Medlcine since its lei st meeting were reviewed with particular emphasis placed on the subjeets o f researcha They are listed after this discnssfon, 'Phe administration of t h e contracts at the universities and other institutions and the overhead problem w a s fully discussed, The Committee was pleased to learn that procedures are being worked out whereby basic research contracts i n most instances will reflect a breakdown of specific

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items and the h.cl;hni cosi or" the scientific work invoived instead of allocating large a ~ omi so f maney t o items listed as admin%strative and overhead expenses. By establishing a onifom policy the item for overhead will in most Instances be reduced o r elimfnated and contracts will l&%ter reflect their truo cost, ad nl nist rat ive proc edu rh.11 be less costly and less bcrdensone for universities and ln6tl tut ions to handle. Some advantages of flxed price contracts were brought The trend toward longer term support was approved, Phosphorus3' for the Precise Localization of Acid and Ethanol i n Relation t o Fat Metabolism" - "Research In the Deimrtrnents o f Pathol.ogy, Presbyter9.m Hospital of the City of Chicago - Peter Bent Brigham Ho spit d - Dro Francis De Depletion and Repdr: the Hwnan Being with the Aid of Isotopes"-

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o f Radtation Upon the Development o f Eat fenses Against Hemorrhagesfi - $18,000 fiInvestigation o f the Effects of Agents Used Inthe Treatment o f Cancer, %ray and Nitrogen Mustards on t h e 1munolog:Pc Response of Experi- " Irradiation of Gastric Mucosa by Intra gastric In still ation of Radioastive Isotopes " - $4,400 Atomic Enerm Commission - kt ional Research Contract extended for one year t o permit the ABCC t o continue medical and genetic studies Die thys tilbe str ol ,and a Study ofits Metabolism Biochemical and Physiological Action o f ThrogLne Agriculture and IIecSanlcal College of Texas -

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"'he Synthesis of Iso to Dic Carbon Cornpouxls Uszd Studie.? of Bio logic d Nitrogen Xixation with "The Production of Mutant Strains of &glenoid Flagellates cand their Use in the Study of Carbon "Studies on the Cyclophorase System o f Animal b, Proposals extended slnce June 10 neetkg 'IComparison of Effects of X-rays, Neutrons and Concentrate Compounds inthe Development .of the

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Radiation Sffzcts of Internally Adnini ste red flS too age " o f ~ n;Ind Other lle tall op o qh yr in s Biological Laboratory, Inc, - D r a Norman Plants and Nlcroorganlsns as Detectors' chemistry and Nutrition of Unicellular Organisms and the Requirement o f Tkrie%iea o f Mutat s Induced by Radiation" and Tracer Studies i n Biology" RPhys5.0Ghaxical Study ofthe Mode of Action o f fiToxiciZ;y and Antibiotic Betatron of Compocnds Forming Complexes with Xetals and Effect of' Trace Xlements on B acte rid Metabolism" "Permeability of Natural Membrane t o Gases

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“Nutritional Edem and hemia as Influenced Sy Propert;i e s of Int raccll1ll ar Cons tit uent slr (14) &iversity of Vi rsi nia - Dr. Alfred Chanutin X-Irradiation and Radioactive Isotopes on t h e Leukenic Agents f o r Therapeutic Value Against Transmitted fbuse Leukemiau ment of a Idethod of Assaying t h e Heparin Content 1rrrc:stigation o f Protein Synthesis by Use of S a mort of &sic Research. I n continuation ofthe discussion at the June meeting the scope of the basic research program was thornughly examinedo Ichc Committee considered the distribution by fields of the AYC research grants as recormended by the Division of B iq logy and ITedicine and they reaffirmed their previous recommendation that the mount o f research i n basic scientific fields should be increased, though wl thout curt?-iltng present c r projected programmatic act iv i ti e s Furthermore, it was the Committee‘s feeling taat research i n the basic sciences i s as inportant and as

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It ims the ssnse o f the Cornnittee th2.t research i n t h e biophysics program shculd be brozdened. Specifically, se vcr d inportant problem were suggested € o r study, i,e,, the tine factor, eggo “ .is the effect of‘ r Rdia ti vi the saxe fora cert<ainperlod’c-e irrespective of whether that period of tine is continums o r interruptedn, the mechcrnism o f the -persistence of effects ; the exchange o f energy between tho environnent and the c e l l ; the study of the energetics; t h e netabolic prccseses involved in the exchange of ions between the environnent and the interior of the cells; enzyze chemistry; the utilization of OUT ncdern knowledge of nicrowave techniques t o develop better our ic fo mati or, on the nechanisn of very rapld reaction; enzyne reaction to radiation danage; qu mt it at ive histochemistry; study on the exact coq os lt ion of intra-cellular fluids and the collolds, These subjczts md nay others i n the broad field of biophysics were suggested for Atomlc Bomb Cncualty Com is sim. gave a comprehensive review of his recent t;isj.t t o Japan, The Deputy Director wherein he sllrveyed the activi’iies ofthe Atonic Bonb Casualty Conmission ai; Hiroshima, Hure, Nagasaki and TOyko,

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Oak Ri Qe Di sast er Dri BOWGPS' survey Covered a11 phases of the ABCC medicine, as well as laboratory facilities, construction, housing facilities, etc, Inasmuch ~t,sl arge suns o f ncney are being esqended from Federal funds for his program, it was the sense o f the Cornittee that periodic reappraisals are essential, Furthermore, it is t h e i r p\;rpose Lo study Dr. Bowers' full repr>rtt othe Connission and t o reexanine the program as tothe probability of 2Lve obtaining the desired ' objectives i n reasonable time 'md at justifiable cost before giving their Fipprovd t o the current program as adnlnistered by the National Research Council, A proposal of jo tnt organ iz a tim of the ABCC and the Japan National Institute of Health, submitted by the NBC, was considered, It w a s belieTed t o be unhise and prenatcre. No definite action was Lnlren, pending further -O a k Ridge Esaster Plans, of Civil 3ngineering at Drexel Institute of Technology and Consultant tothe Division of Biology And Medicine summarized his report on Oak RiQe $eration disaster plans and problems whlch he had made at the instance of the Director o f the Division of Biology and Medicine. He

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(1) The dec is im to place the prcjected i5-29 unnecessary hazard which i s not justified by considera+ ,L.lb,ns of either cost or production and should be r e con si der ea. -c (2) The c quip men nn Building 706-D which produces an inportant research component should be given prote &ion conqensurate with i t s importance (unless it be concluded tlmt the present plan t o rebuild within a year adequately cares for the facility) , (3) ?he use o f any type o f block construction - brick, concrete, o r precast slabs -- should be banned i n favor o f (a) poured i n place reenforced concrete walls which are tied to the building frane or, (1) corrugated asbestos which will readily shatter and not becone dangerous n is si les. (4) The d,m (originally constructed as a road fill) i n Oak Creek which forms al & e and recetves the waste frorn t h e Y-12 plant danger frGn a flash flood by 8 continuous wall of steel should be strengtheneil against (5) The projected disaster plan for the town of Oak XiQe shculd be pushed t o completion.

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The Connittee 6eer.ed i t Iiise to withhold their recormendat;oli$ htil such tine as the de th il s of the disaster plans f nr the town ofOak ,Piage are received from the Manager of Oak Ridge Operatfons Office. Civil Defense Planning:. D r , Varren reported on the-- progress mar?e i n the Civil Defense Plahning Progran, He state & thst E.4rb-'%p~~manhad nssuned the supervision of this program for the Divisi m of Biology and Medicine and that he i s working on plans that will be serviceable t o the National Security Resources Board insetting up of its responsibilities. The Comission i s seeking clarification I n conjunction with this,Mr, John Derry told of a meeting which will be held i n Chicago on October 12, 1949 on Disaster Stock->iiing i n which Dr, Warren d.11 act as noderatoro Representatives o f ;ill the areaa will attend this neeting t o oxchange ideas regarding the subject; of radiation detection instnuients for disaster purpo6es3 Dr, Varren stated that the Weapons Effects Bndbonk may be ready for printing the early part of Decenber, I n connection wlth this book, it was his opinion that; a physicians' and a lay first aid nanual should be prepared i n a short fom wlth one section on decontamination and the other section an the effects

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Chalk River on SeptcRber 29 and 80 when a three-nation conference will be held t c ? re-aFpraise the waste disposal stanc?arc?s rind the per n is sib lc dose st,-indlards, Eleven leading rd3,o logi sts and health physic l sts will represent; the United States, changes i n its nembership, Dr, H8.si;lngs and Dr. Beadle expressed a desire bo retire on June 30, 1950, Dr. Hastings moved that her cd ter the policy o f the Comit tee should be that its nenbership sho6l.d rotate on an mn'aal basis, It was seconded by D r o Wearn and unaninously 'Jkerefoze, it was agreed that the Comnit.Lee would accept the resignations of D r o H.astin,x and Dre Beadle as of June 30, 1950 m d the renaining nembers with t h e 1%was suggested that the new proposed nenbers f o r replacement be invited to attend several meetings before

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the retirement of ani meaber, The Director will present this suggested change i n policy tothe General 14anaZer. ihe Comissinn for report made by tg&Acting Chief o f the Biology Branch wherein he reviewed the activities of the Mv tsi on that The Cormittee was interested in the nay be classified under the broad scope of education, Dr, Pearson stated that the 0;ik Ridge Institute of ITuclear Studies and its isotope training prog rm is designed to train people Inthe technique and the use o f radioisotopes; the progr,m has been developed jointly with the Oak Ridge Nat inn < i L Laboratory and the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies whereby students pursuing work for the doct;orate who have completed ail of the course requirements at; the institutions nay be appointed to the Oak Ridge Nat in nal Laboratoiy for the purpose of carrying on research which may be used as material for a Since sone o f the national laboratories are sonewhat isolated from acadenic institut lons it is ilesirable that some plans be developed and encouraged t o provide f o r an exchange of university factilty and shff members iron national laboratories. A progrcm has been developedr

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partidula+lY he Oak Xidge: for the appointment of st&€ menbers from unlv ers lt les and colleges on a leave basis for periods of three months, six months, a year and preferably two years, A similar plan will be developed at o t h e r laboratories as soon as there are adequate facilities and additional staff can be accommodated, He further &-p'm&g&i;hati t would be desirable t o work out; some arrangement whereby staff members o f the national laboratories could be given a leave of absence for work in universities and colleges, health in relation to items that are procured asa unit D,no Warren discussed industrial against; those procured on a contract 'basia, This proWem had cone up i n connection wlth the Colorado Plateau m d elsewhere as t o the responsibility ofthe Atomic Energy Commission for the health of the personnel of an esta3li she nt working on material produced for the Atomic Energy Commission, Dr, Varren stated that a tentative plan had been suggested i n connection tnth the Colorado Plsteau wherein t h e StAte Boards of Health would accept the responsibility for the policing and the A EO would assist them with He further discussed the beryl los is problem as

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one item for study ab to the responsibility of A3C tovar d persorlnei vibrktng mbth beryllium. Specifically, the Nev York Operations Office had requested advice on whether they had t o supervise and p alice each plant where they may have a contract, #re Bennett Boskey, Deputy General Couusel, expla3ned t o the'?hmit&ee the various clauses o f an BEC coutract; with particular emphasis placed on the clause committing a contractor t o abide by AZC health and safety The Committee dld not take my specific action on the problem, nevertheless, the &iscussion leaned toward holding thaic ep.ch contractor should be responsible for the health and safety of his employees and that ii6 much responsibility as possi'ble for inspection and policing rest on the state m d municipal Flgencies. Future Tests, Dr, Warren reported on the Zniwetok program in relation to the biological experiments that have been agreed upon by the ad hoc committee and approved by 17J''Division at Los Uamos. Conferences have been held with representatives o f the Armed Se.rvices and t h e U. S, Public Health Sero.ice concerning the extent of their that the Conmlssion will tc responsible f o r the overseas operation which will k e aproximately $1,700,000 for the The general principle ha6 been adopted

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The Naval IIedicirl Sesearch Institute have ;?greed t o ?,repare detailed sTecificpttons for procurement and construction of an anl mai station in Japtan. Fellowships Fel iowshin 6. The Ccnmittee considered the Pellowship Program in light of the recent Congressional hearings znd the rider th& has been placed i n the AEC Appropriation Act for the fiscal ”year‘“-8 19 0 which makes obligatory a full FBI clearance for each candidate for an AEC FelloWshlp …