In the four years since the Asilomar Conference, the controversy over recombinant DNA research has spawned sixteen congressional bills, a scattering of state and local legislation, and volumes of congressional hearings and reports. All of this has been paralleled by a steady stream of articles in the scientific and popular press, and extensive coverage on radio and television. To date, thirteen books on the subject have been published or are in press. In addition to this published record, a rich collection of archival and oral history materials now also documents, in much detail, the roles of individuals and institutions in the development of rDNA research and the concern over its safety and applications. These source materials are part of the Recombinant DNA History Collection available for research use at the M.I.T. Institute Archives.