The House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee's regulatory legislation on recombinant DNA technology is discussed along with university reactions to it. Violations of federal guidelines and legal efforts are described. (LBH)

Brief updates are presented regarding institutional patent arrangements and whether an institution, individual, or government owns a patent; the decision of the American Association for the Advancement of Science not to hold its convention in non-ERA-ratified states; and the impact of the Carter Administration budget on VA biomedical research.…

The board that advises the Secretary of HEW on ethics has given a qualified approval for further review of federal funding for research on human embryos conceived in the laboratory. Issues and concerns that influenced the board's decision are addressed. (JMD)

Economic problems, including the impact of Proposition 13, are reviewed that are affecting federal financial support for basic research. Focus is on political attitudes within Congress and the Carter Administration, including their effect on grants for research at land grant colleges. (LBH)