Abstract. At the 1983 Summer Conference on the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science, working groups chaired by the coauthors outlined some of the prospects for the use of somatic and germ line genetic engineering and related biological technologies to alleviate disease and to modify human behavior. They then offered a series of recommendations concerning the application of genetic engineering to persons and the monitoring of medical research and therapy.
A few stylistic changes have been made in the text ofthe statements to make them clearer.
. Recent work with Drosophila suggests, however, that gene expression may be tissue specific.
. This was perhaps the most controversial recommendation formulated at the conference. It is one with which the authors are not in complete agreement. Engelhardt would prefer not to have the commission be a “continuing” commission. Davis thinks that existing local review boards in hospitals could handle the problems likely to come up, leaving a commission with no job to do; however, if major new ethical problems arose, a national commission could be established to formulate policy that could be employed by local boards.