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TOSHUA LEDERBERG

PRESIDENT

Dr. W. O. McClure

Director

Section of Cellular Biology
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California 90007

Dear Dr. McClure:

This is in connection with Dr. Ronald Harris-Warrick's
application for a faculty position in neurosciences.

To my great satisfaction, Dr. Harris-Warrick was my
research assistant and graduate student in the Department
of Genetics at Stanford University between 1970 and 1975.
I had known of him prior to that time, as an undergraduate
in the Department of Biological Sciences where he had done
outstanding work with Professor Charles Yunofsky. In my
own laboratory he made an important discovery, namely that
endonuclease restriction segments of Bacillus subtilis could
be separated by agarose gel chromatography; that different
segments had distinctive genetic activity in the transforma-
tion system; and that this analytical methodology could be
used to explore the strain specificity of transformation in
Bacillus subtilis, B. globigii, and other strains. He was
an important member of the group, working with Drs. Sgaramella
and Ehrlich, in the development of recombinant-DNA methodology
for Bacillus subtilis.

Dr. Harris-Warrick showed himself to be an observant,
methodical and imaginative investigator and I had no doubt
that he would make important contributions in the general
field of molecular biology.

Fairly early in the progress of his work he developed a
broader interest in neurobiological mechanisms. By happy
mutual agreement he planned, on the completion of his disser-
tation work in my laboratory, to work with Dr. Eric M. Shooter -
originally also in the Genetics Department but soon to bud off
the separate department of neurobiology. I assume that Dr.
Shooter will be able to give you a good account of his work
Dr. W. O. McClure
December 7, 1979

-2-

with him, and can also comment better than I on his sub-
sequent performance in research studies in that general
field.

Besides his unmistakable investigative accomplishment
Dr. Harris is a human being of extraordinary sensitivity
and consideration. He is clear and forthright in his dis-
cussion and will be a superb teacher. I would recommend
him without reservation for a faculty position, and would
be glad to find him again a colleague on any faculty of
which I was myself a member.

urs sincerely,
\

Cu

Joshua Lederberg