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Sse © December 12, 1979

JOSHUA LEDERBERG

PRESIDENT

Adetokunbo O. Lucas, M.D.
Director |
Special Programme for Research and

Training in Tropical Diseases
World Health Organization
1211 Geneva 27
Switzerland

Ref. LEP/T16/181/L4/1

Dear Dr. Lucas:

Thank you for sending me the Curtiss' application for
research on M. leprae.

This is a first rate.team and I am glad to see them
recruited to work on leprosy. I strongly recommend approval.

My only caveat is that the jump from Mycobacterium to
E. coli may be ambitious, especially for the expression of
antigens which would be the most immediately important
practically. For that reason, I would hope that more atten-
tion be paid to efforts to cross M. leprae with other Myco-
bacteria. .

Perhaps this was discussed at the Workshop on Genetics
of M. leprae (Boston, September 29-30, 1977) mentioned on
page 20 of the proposal. If so, I would be grateful for a
copy of the summary proceedings thereof.

With best regards.

Yours sincerely,

Téphua Lederberg

P.S. Your office evidently still has my Stanford address.