Meeting Minutes of Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine Held at the Oak Ridge National Laboratories, Oak Ridge, Tennessee May 5,6 and 7, 1955

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ADVISORY COTKITTEE FOR BIOLOGY AND =CINE The fifty-first meeting of the Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine was held at the Oak Ridge Operations Office, in Oak Ridge, Tennessee on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, May 5 , 6 and 7, 1 9 s with the following persons in attendance: Dre John C. Bugher, Director Miss Rosemary Elmo The Committee members (with the exception of Dr. Stern who arrived in the evening) and AEC representatives met at the University of TennesseeAtomic Energy Commission laboratorg building on Thursday, May 5 , 1955, at lr30 P.M. Mr. Sapirie, Manager of the Oak Ridge Operations Office, presented a description of the production, construction, engineering OFFICIAL USE ONLY

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of Oak Ridge OFFICIAL USE ONLY and development programs which are the responsibilities Operations. A t the conclusion of the Manager's review and welcomirig remarks, the meeting was opened for the UT-AEC staff t o present their program. University of Tennessee Atomic Energy Ccmmission Agriculture reviewed the program and indicated that its interests are closely allied with programs of both the Commission and t h e Univcrsity. that the functions of the UT-AEC Program areto accomplish research objectives within Commission and Univcrsity interests,to use the external radiation field most effectively and t o encourage cooperative institutions and experiment stations, and t o provide objectives for training graduate students. experimentation which is being carried out with both laboratory and domestic animals i n an effort to evaluate possible effects of dissemination of radioactive materials in animals, the effects of exposure t o external radiation and to cx plo it the ben sfic i al use of radioisotopes The College of Agriculture people were called on t o describe some o f Mr. John A , Ewing, Project Leader stated The Committee discussed t h e extensive the work the University wants t o do on its own on beef cattle breeding inthe control herd a t UT-AEC project. Atthe conclusion of the program, Dr. McLeod asked for comments. Committee stated that the people presenting the program appear enthusiastic, that there i s general approval for their entering intoa OFFICIAL USE CNLY

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certain amount of plant work using the exposure field, and that full advantage might be taken of cooperation with other southern in st it u - large animal facility we have, mid that the radiation field is unique and the advantages of thc f i e l d should not be ovcrlooked. A criticism was voiced regarding the size of the UT-AEC technical advisory committee in that too large a committee with too much emphasis might tend to stifle investigation. Dr, Mcleod asked the opinion of the Committee rcgarding the designation of D r , Patrick the pressnt acting Laboratoq? Director, as pcrmanent those present had never mttDr. Patrick before this mtsting nor seen the current developments i n the program, and that the responsibility for making this decision rested with the University. It was pointed out however, thata decision regarding a pmnanent Director should be It was called to the Dean's attention that the majority of based on experience of the man and the local and regional lead tr ship he could demonstrate and thata Director for the UT - a C Program should be of such stature that he could meet other leading scientists and Oak Ridge Operations Laboratory Dircctors on an equal basis. Oak Ridge Institute Dr. Marshall Brucer, Chairman, Medical Division, ' of Nuclear Studies Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies convened the mecting a t 9800 A.M. He welcomed t h e Committee and summarized the program of the Division. Members of his staff outlined thcir

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Or nCI IL USE ONLY Dr. Gould A . Andrews reported on recent devdopnents ina long range program on clinical studies with radioactive colloids. Dr. Granvil C. Kyker gave a very interesting report on studies with rare earth. He explained the pL-ocedure wherein representative elements of the lanthanide group were used i n animals. Dr. Ralph Kniseley of the Thyroid Pathology Division described the studies being conducted on execretion patterns following iodine administ ration,the blood lev sls of Iodine-131 and the his to logical picture techniaces and facilities are bsing developed for relatively low-level beta and gamma counting, A brief description was given of present work on Iodine-131 detenninations in cattle and human thyroids and He said that on milk and bone. Dr. Brucer described the Thyroid Uptake Calibration Program. were presented ofthe spectrum of Wock-iodine”- the plans for evaluation of the calibrations, and the proposed pre smt ation for the Dr. VbcentCollins from Baylor University i n Houston, Texas, a member Of t h e Teletherapy Evaluation Board presented the main aspects of the TEB program. pioneered cooperative development and evaluation with medical centers throughout the nation of tele therapy equipment and i s currently testing a kilo curie rotating cesium unit in Oak Ridge. as tothe TFB evaluation of survival, and it was stated that consideraHe brought out t h a t OmNS Medical Division has tion of this would be apart of the lung carcincma studies and some

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of the bone work. A t the conclusion of the ORINS Medical Division review, the Committee inspected the cesium teletherapy machine which was being installed. Health Physics Division Physics Division opened t h e discussion of presented with a resume' of efforts toward securing additional data The main areas of research in Health Physics were relating to calculations for the maximal pennissible concentration for various radio-elements, a main problem being the interpretation of single dose data i n terms of chronic exposure. Dr. Stanley Auerbach spoke of Ecological Considerations Df Soil Organisms; Dr. Conrad Straub on Soil Absorption of Specific Isotopes Dr.Fail la remarked upon the unique nature of the wo& i n progress, giving due credit to Dr. Morgan's group for its initiation. Dr. Elda Anderson reported on the Radiological Physics Fellowships, noting that of the 101 who have completed the program, 62$ arein Health Physics work, and 20$ arein graduate schools. Dr.A. Hollaender Dr. Hollaender stated that the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Biological Research Program consists of a group of long-range basic activities in quantitative biology concerned with the effects of all kinds of radiations on a variety of living material both plant and animal. experimental studies are demonstrating how radiations change inheritance, alter biological processes, and modify the normal biochemistry of cells He brought out that the The fundamental data being provided by this program

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constitutemajor contributions tothe world's knowledge of the biological haq ads from radiation, and are leading towayds development of possible means for the alleviation or prevention of radiation effects, are under way toward enhancement af recovery ofthe manunal from radiation damage, and a new program of chemical protection against radiation in j q is beginning in fiscal year, 1956. The large scale mouse genetics experiment continues t o provide sign if i cah information on changes caused by ionizing radiation in the germ plasm at several dose levels.A proposed expansion t o include studies at much lower total dose and chronic exposure levels to begin i n FY 1956 was discussed. Dr. Hollaenderfs staff presented a review of the work under way i n each laboratory. The Mammalian Genetics and Development Project which i s under the The sequence of work on nucleic acid and nucleotide identification and the relationships of these substances With coenzymes were described Dr. Doisy who had been visiting Oak Ridge for two days prior to the Advisory Committee meeting remarked that he s o enjoyed talking with OENL biochemists that he felt he could talk with them for another full day with pleasure because of the q u c l i t y of the work being Dr. Hollaender told of the Educational Activities of the Biology Division which consists of (a) Traveling Lectureships, (b) Research Participant Program, (c) Teaching a t the University of Virginia and at Duke, (d) Oak Ridge graduate fellowships, (e)the plan for

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temporary employees as research associates i n t h e Division, and (f) loan of employees f o r teaching aid i n establishment of radio-biology courses a t soiithern colleges ana universities Mouse Genetic Work I n the Committee’s discussion after the prcsentation of the formal program of the Om,two questions were considered concerning t h e Mouse Genetic Program1 (a) Whether it would be advisable t o go to quite low total dose studies, a t about the 75r level or whether t o do the 1SOr work first, and (b) whether all this mouse work should be done a t ORNI; o r Ff some phases might be done elsewhere, perhaps even having some dose ranges done a t Hamen. more animals and a great deal of difficulty would be encountered with the very low doses. growth of the program a t one location because of p a s t expeeence with such things as epidemics, fire,or other disasters that could wipe out It was evident that many Some hesitancy was shown regarding a marked a total experiment. It was remarked that perhaps we are al it tlc too excited regarding the effects of low doses. by using lSOr, he can check on the linearity of dose VS. mutation rate i n about two years, ..At the close of the session favorable corrnents were expressed regarding t h e excellent staff associated with the Laboratory and of the manner i n which the programs were presented. OFFTCTAL USE ONLY

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O IT I GI AL UZE CNLY The Chairman of the Advisory Corxittee reconvened the meeting with all bringing the Committee up t o date on the activities of the Division and t h e Atolnic Energy Commission. He asked Dr. be her to open the momir?gsession by plans for the Geneva Conference. giving full time i n getting the American contribution tothe confcrence-. Dr, Bugher reported on several items including the He stated that Dr. LeFevre has been a great amount of analytical work had t o be done now that the ship I n connection with Project Troll, Dr. Bugher said that had landed i n Japan, the New York Laboratory by about twelve people in order t o take care of t h e increasing work load which will have to be placed on t h e bioc3emists Therefore, he had asked Mr. Eisenbud t o expand and technicians t o make analyses of the incoming scientific material, Project Wigwam Dr. Bugher reported on Project Wigwam and said that t h e Commission on April 27 cc:isidered the recommendations of the Cormittee concerning the Project and it took specific dction by sending the following letter to the Secretary of Defense: You will recall the decision t o announce the WIGWAM test three or four days before its occurrence. ment has been tentatively scheduled t o be released on In this connection enclosed isa copy of a letter dated

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April 23, 1955 and i t s enclosure dated March 18, 1955 in which our Advisory Cornittee f o r Biology and Medicine recommends the announcement of the WIGWAM test well i n advance of its occurrence as well as advance notice to certain countries. We will appreciate being advised whether, after reading the attached, you feel any further consideration should be given t o the timing ofthe public announcement of this test. The Secretary of Def exell Subsecuently Press Releasa#635, dated May 9 , 1955 and #640, dated May 17, 1955 were made regarding Project UGW. Sac Appendix A and B hearings held before the Joint Committee 33 Atomic Energy with es pci al Dr. Bugher then reported on a series of reference t o one concerning Civil Defense. A copy of the transcript relating to Civil Defense kill be sent t o each member of t h e Committee. A discussion took place on the correspondence which the Chairman of the ACm had received from a "Jack Schwartall of Branford, Connecticut, concerning a paper which he had circulated to several scientists entitled W cie nti st Statement on t h e Hydrogen Bomb.lt Dr, Bugher read into the record a letter from Prof. A. Einstein (now deceased) toMr. Schwartz recommendjng that several outstanding scientists be contacted regarding the latter rs suggestions.

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N O formal action was taken by the Committee on the correspondence which may be found in the central files of the Division. Dr.Cant ril told of minga television broadcast of the recent test series 2nd of listening to a report by Dr. Alvin Graves concerning fallout. and persons i n charge of the Test Si%e should be advised that in future interviews they should be emphatic with their statement i n saying that fallout was limited to 3r9r per year in the nearby area surrounding the Test Site or in the Test Site and not throughout the United States. Visit to Marshall It was suggested that Dr. Graves K-.Stanwood presented a written report on his Visit Izds and the ABCC i n J%::an t0 the Marshall Islands for the parpose of reviewing the fac il it5es of the Eniwetok Marine Biological Laboratory and t o review the fiscal and budgetary procedureso in the company of Dr, Dun\am, he visited the Atomic Bomb Casualty Mr. Stanwood's report reflected th:it he was pleased with the fiscal set up of t h e program of the Biological Laboratory. He told of his visit tothe A3CC i n Tokyc, Hiroshima and Nagaski for purposes of reviewing the facilities, general business management, and fiscal and budgetary operations and requirements. Mr. Stanwood brought out that the housing problem is particularly acute and he made the follow bg suggestions which might help to alleviate the (I) Attenpt to restrict assignment of personnel t o Nagasaki to single people o r working married couples insofar as possible.

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OFFICIAL USE ONLY (2) Interest private capital or foundation investment in construction of new homes on a rental reimbursement (3) Coni.'xe and intensify the search for local housing (4) As alast resort, include an itq for housing inthe on a rental basis. annual budget submission. done isin E, 1958. The earliest this could be Mr, Stanwood mentioned that his report on ABCC activities had been prepared on more o r less general basis and that the principal points of interest areas follows: (1) Facilities at Hiroshima are quite adequate while a t Nagasaki Laboratory and administrative facilities are presently adequate but the housing situation is acute. (2) Business mulagemsnt and fiscal activities are conducted in a most satisfactory way. (3) It i s recommended that the work week be extended t o conform with generally accepted U.S, practices. (b) It i s recommeded that are creation and entertainment fund be established under t h e contract. (5) It i s recommer,ded that the excess materials procured for the KURE project be disposed of a s promptly as control, it is recommended that the accounting system be expanded t o include the recording of expenditures on a departmental basis. (7) It …