Research on genetically altered organisms could become more widespread if applying for federal permits for field tests was less complicated.

Untangling the permit rules could soon be reality with the completion of a computer expert system, said Wolfgang Schuh, assistant professor of plant pathology.

The computer expert system is designed to facilitate the application process for field testing permits, said Schuh, who is developing the system.

When scientists work on an experiment that involves a genetically altered organism -- an organism whose genetic material has been changed by the researcher -- they must obtain a permit from the federal government allowing them to field test this organism in the environment, he said.

Obtaining such a permit involves researching the regulations of many different federal agencies. The scientist must sift through these rules and determine which are pertinent to the experiment, Schuh added.

"This becomes a very tedious and complicated task," he said.

The computer expert system operates through four modules, Schuh said. The first module determines which federal agency is responsible for giving the permit. The second module decides which rules and regulations apply to the specific project the researcher is working on.

The third is an optional module that contains information like an electronic dictionary. And the fourth module is the application generator that also gives suggestions on how to organize the field test.

All of the modules operate through a series of questions that allow the scientist to obtain an application specific to his experiment.

In a survey taken a year-and-a-half ago only about 60 permits had been issued for field testing genetically altered organisms, said Dave MacKenzie, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Biological Impact Assessment Program.

Of the 60, only four were awarded to universities; the others went to privately owned companies, he added. Private companies have more time, money and personnel available to devote to the complex application process, MacKenzie said.

"This system will (also) give universities more opportunities for research with genetically altered organisms," Schuh said.