THE UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

COLLFGR OF AGRICULTURE

Madison, 6

BEPARTMENT OF GENETICS

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July 12, 1951.

Dr. Warren Weaver, Director,
Natural Sciences Division, to. ave
Rockefeller Foundation, -—........ Mi MRT |
49 E. 49: Street, . Ls
New York, N.Y.

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Dear Dr. Weaver:

I enclose herewith a final report covering our research activities
under the grant-in~aid for our project on the Genetics of Bacteria, for
the period May 1, 1948 to April 30, 1951. I must apologize for the delay
in transmitting this report, but may refer to two extenuating circum
stances: a) it takes some time to develop at least a little perspective
on the work one is doing from day-to-day, and 6) I was extremely busy,
especially in preparing a very detailed summary of our work of several
years in the form of a manuscript for the Cold Spring Harbor Symposium
which was held in June. Many elaborate details have been omitted from the
report, so as to keep it within reasonable bounds, but these will be
available as reprints of the symposium proceedings. The report is, in
a sense, a condensed version of that scientific publication.

In a previous letter to Dr. Loomis (January 15, 1951), I mentioned
that until early 1952 the likely future needs of our research program
would remain rather uncertain, so that I might postpone until then any
request for consideration of a new application for support. A situation
has now developed, however, which impals me to reopen this question in
the very near future, if you are willing to consider it. We were very
lucky during the last few months in finding a variety of new strains
of E. coli that we could cross with one another, and that show great
serological diversity. The mechanisms of inheritance of .antigens..in
bacteria are of great imporfance and interest, and this is one project
that I feel whould be initiated as soon as possible, now that the necessary
biological material is available. Dr. M. R. Irwin, who, as you know has
had pioneering experience in the immunogenetics of higher animals shares
this interest, and we expect to collabonate in many phases of this work.
So, far the past year, we have been looking for a suitable graduate student
to grapple with this problem. None has appeared, but it became evident that
it would be more appropriate for someone who had already acquired some
experience in microbial genetics and in irmunology.

At about this time, a lr, Palmer D. Skaar, now completing his doctoral
dissertation with Sonneborn at Indiana University, wrote to us outlining
virtually the same program that we had discussed, and asking whether he
might not seek a Merck fellowship to pursue such work with us. We would
have been pleased at this outcome, but unfortunately he did not win the
fellowship. We feel that this research program could best be realized if

it were possible to offer Mr. (or soon-to-be Dr.) Skaar a reasonable sti-
pend as a research associate to work on this problem for the next two years
or sO. Some emergency funds can ‘possibly be secured from within the insti-
tution, but for any assurance that the project will be able to continue,

we should need some assistance from extramural sources.

This is hardly a formal application for such support, but it is cer-
tainly an enquiry looking forward to your encouragement, if it is to be had,
to prepare such an application. I would hope that the Foundation might con- é
tinue to underwrite our general program on the same broad basis as it has Ue u
from 1948-51, in addition to specific provision for the research associate yy)
mentioned, but perhaps I had better leave it. to you to suggest the general
terms of financial extent and duration “which the Foundation might be willing “y, Ww"

to give soma consideration.

s

ne WU
The grant—in—aid now terminated has been instrumental in putting this 49 0
laboratory and its research program on bacterial genetics in working order. \*
It would be difficult for me adequately to express my appreciation both for ih OL
this end-result and for the cordiality with which my correspondence relating i =
to the grant was treated.

Yours sincerely,

AAG an
_f{ Joshua Lederberg,
Associate Professor of Genetics.