Agassiz Professor of Zoology C. Richard Taylor,who chairs Harvard's animal care committee, saidhe doubted Wiles' appointment would affectHarvard's animal experimentation.
"There isn't anything to affect," Taylor said."Nobody found anything. We run an exemplaryprogram. There is no question we run of the bestprograms in the country."
But Taylor said he is still concerned thattougher animal rights legislation might impairresearch.
"The animal rights groups have increased thecosts of animal reseach by an order of magnitudeand I don't think our program has improved by anorder of magnitude," said Taylor.
According to Taylor, animal welfare groups areslowly trying to raise the price of animalresearch. He said creating the new position willonly succeed in creating new levels of bureacracy,and would not help the animals appreciably.
"There is going to be more beuracracy you haveto file the same report with a different level ofgovernment you are already filing with two otherlevels," Taylor said. "You aren't doing anythingdifferent except spending more money.