STANFORD UNIVERSITY
STANFORD, CALIFORNIA

DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

January 16, 1952

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Genetics
University of Wisconsin
Madison, Wisconsin

Dear Josh:

I've accepted the responsibility of organizing and convening a symposium
on Physiology and Genetics of Microorganisms, sponsored by the Physiology Section
of the Society of American Bacteriologists, and scheduled as a part of the annual
meetings of the Society to be held in Boston the week of april 27 - May l.

I would like to have the session organized as a round-table, and to run the
discussions in as informal manner as possible. In a preliminary way, it would
perhaps seem best if the program were directed primarily to a general audience,
rather than to the specialists. The proposed general topic, "Physiology and
Genetics of Microorganisms" might be divided into the following 4 areas:

Physiological characters concerned.

Population variation.

Individual variation (in terms of mechanism of heredity: gene mutation,
recombination, transformation, extranuclear inheritance).

Mechanism of genic control of phenotype, (gene-enzyme relation; adaptive
enzyme synthesis, etc.).

F WNF

In order to cover this somewhat ambitious program in the two hours available,
and still permit discussion, I had thought we might have each area outlined briefly
by one speaker (as underlined below) giving their evaluation of the present general
concepts, with others, especially but not exclusively those indicated, contributing
during the following discussion.

1. Tatum.

2. Ryan, Novick.

3. Lederberg, Spiegelman, Hotchkiss, Delamater.
4, Bonner, Spiegelman.

I hope very much that you will be able to take part in this symposium and
would appreciate hearing from you as soon as possible, so that we can proceed to
make further, more detailed plans. Your comments and suggestions will, of course,
be needed.

As you see, I am counting on you to introduce topic 3, with primary emphasis
on recombination perhaps. In addition everyone would be, I hope, given time to
_ contribute to the final discussion.

I hope the culture you requested arrived in good shape and with the expected
behavior. JI will be looking forward to seeing you in Madison around the middle of
March when we can discuss some of the questions you raised in your letter, as well
—

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Dr. Joshua Lederberg, p. 2 January 16, 1952

as your ideas on this symposium. Incidentally, Zinder's work should of course be
included in this symposium.

With best regards to you and Egther,

Yours,
ELT: gz
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