HEADQUARTERS CAMP DETRICK
FREDERICK. MARYLAND

29 October 1954

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Dept. of Genetics
University of Wisconsin
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Dear Josh:

I have been asked to attempt to organize a symposium on "Contributions
of Microbial Genetics to some Problems of Epidemiology" for the 1955 SAB
meeting which is scheduled for May 8-12 in New York City.

I believe that a discussion on the potential significance of newer in-
formation in the field of microbial genetics to epidemiological problems
would be quite stimulating, even though actual experimental evidence for the
significance of some of these phenomena in vivo is so far admittedly quite
meager, 1 would visualize a symposium of this type as a series of, I hope,
constructive speculations based on experimental data in vitro and, if avail-
able, in vivo which shculd be reviewed to a sufficient extent to give the
non-specialist some idea about the phenomena that are being discussed. Nat-
urally, in discussing any epidemiological problem the role of the host cannot
be minimized, but I thought that for the purpose of this particular symposiun,
we could restrict ourselves to a discussion of potential changes in the para-
site population.

It seems to me that the following speakers and titles might best serve
this purpose:

(1) Braun, W. "Bacterial population changes (mutation and selection)
and epidemiology."

(2) Garber, 2. or Burrows, T. "“Auxotrophy and epidemiology"
(Garber has some interesting new data on this subject.)

(3) Hotchkiss, R. or nustrian, R. "Transformation and epidemiology."

(4) Lederberg, J. “Recombination and transduction in relation to
epidemiology."

(5) Bryson, V. or Wyss, 0, "Epidemiological considerations based
on studies of antibiotic resistance."

Please let me know as soon as possible whether you would be willing to
participate in such a symposium and whether you have any additional suggestions
regarding organization, speakers and topics. Should you be willing to
Dr, Joshua Lederberg 29 October 1954

participate, and I sincerely hope so, I would suggest that all of us exchange,
at an early date, a very brief outline of material to be covered, so that we
might avoid overlapping discussions.

With Lest personal regards,
Sincerely,
f

ew?
WB/bsp WERNER BRAUN

F.S. How long is Cavalli going to stay in Madison? J would very much like
to have him visit us for a couple of days on his way back East, if he can
arrange to do so.