New Haven Voices No Objections To Yale P3 Lab

A member of the Yale Biological Safety Advisory Committee said yesterday he does not anticipate city intervention in the planned construction of a P3 containment laboratory for recombinant DNA researchsimilar to the proposed Harvard laboratory blocked by the Cambridge City Council in June.

In September the city council extended for another three months the moratorium on P3 research in Cambridge to allow investigation of potential hazards.

P3 level experiments must be conducted in negative pressure chambers and require special filtration systems and lab procedures. Both Harvard and Yale are currently conducting recombinant DNA research on the P2, or moderate-risk, level which requires the posting of a "Keep currently conducting recombinant DNA research on the P2, or moderate-risk, level, which requires the posting of a Keep Out" sign during experiments.

Joseph G. Gall, professor of Biology at Yale and a member of the safety committee, said the Yale researchers have had "good, open contact" with the New Haven mayor's office, adding that Albert Landino, New Haven chief engineer, is also a member of the committee

Landino said yesterday he is not aware of any contemplated action by the city against the P3research.

Frank H. Ruddle, professor of Biology and Human Genetics at Yale and chairman of the safety committee, said yesterday the committee will review both the design and performance tests of the P3 lab for safety. Construction should be complete in about a year, he said.

The committee held a public information meeting last Monday in which everyone was "very reasonable" about the proposed lab. Ruddle said.

Gall contrasted the tone of Monday's meeting with the situation at Harvard which he said is "blown out of all proportion." He said the danger of creating a new disease is almost zero if the NIH prohibitions on work with pathogenic, oncogenic, toxic and drug resistant bacterial strains are respected.