MaRTIN FROBISHER
5880 CHAMBLEE-DUNWOODY ROAD
CHAMBLEE,GEORGIA

March 22nd, 1954.

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

Dear Dr. Lederberg,

I am much pleased to have the reprints of
your recent articles on bacterial genetics and trans-—
duction. They are of great interest to me and recall
the work I did on transmission of toxigenicity of scar~
let-fever streptococci to some beta-type streptococci
isolated from cream cheese (probably group D) which were
not toxigenic and presumably harmless, We suspected,
back in those benighted days, that we had transferred
a scarlet fever virus , It probably was r.n.a. or some~
thing of the same nature; quite suggestive of the trans-
formation of avirulent diphtheria bacilli which we now
bring about with 'phage, Perhaps we were unwittingly
dealing with lysogenic strains of streptococci.

Regarding your account of the Method for
isolating individual microorganisms", I should certain~
ly offer it for publication. It sounds very good and
practical and, in these days of genetic studies, should
be warmly welcomed by many.

With cordial regards,

Yours ve incerely, ;
!

in Frobisher,