ABSTRACT
The federal government has a responsibility to concern itself with the risks and rewards of biotechnology, and that concern has stimulated great debate. Most participants agree that the rewards and opportunities are boundless, but also that the risks are real and uncomfortably uncertain. At the level of society where benefits are diffuse and there is little or no personal choice, determining action based on risk of accidental occurrence becomes the business of government, including the local, state, and/or federal authorities. Regulation of biotechnology is a challenge of the decade. It must proceed with full intent to protect public safety, while assuring the public of the benefits of its multibillion dollar investment in molecular biology. The major goal of the Biotechnology Scientific Coordinating Committee is to provide coordination among the regulatory agencies in their scientific risk assessment and to provide and ensure good science.
