Recombinant DNA research: the scope and limits of regulation.

The paper provides an overview of public policy issues pertaining to the use of gene-splicing (recombinant DNA [deoxyribonucleic acid]) techniques in research and for industrial applications. Included is a discussion of the regulatory framework at the federal and institutional levels. The principal limitation of the current federal guidelines is its failure to provide mandatory coverage for private sector activities. Four municipalities and two states have passed their own legislation to remedy the situation. These enactments and their tie-in to the public health sector are examined.