MAS TERI Of AGHICUL TURE

américs Groszmann
Servicgo Nacional de Pesquisas Agronomicas
Caixa Postal 1620. Rio de Janeiro — Brasil

of. ng 221. Dec. 2, 1955.

Prof. Yoshua Lederberg
University of Wisconsin
Madison — Wisconsin — U.S.A.

My dear Prof. Lederberg;

We are starting a research work on a nitrogen fixing
bacteria of the genus "BEIJERINCKIA". We found teestrains very
similar, brat one someywhat larger, weith a smaller rate of re-
production, fixing less nitrogen from the air. The other has
opposit characters. This genus is different from the Azotobacter
for several reasons. We should like to work out a method of
crossing these two strains and to study segregations in the follo-
wing generations, We realize that, for the moment, therare very
few work published on bacterial genetics, the reason why we ta—
ke the liberty to write to you for Some orientation, TY took my
M.S. and Ph.D. at Iowa State College, 1947, under G.F.Sprague,
J.Gowen and E.Lindstrom. My collaborator is a german bacteriolo-—
gist, who is doing the isolation work. We have some very inter -
resting preliminary data a®ready.

Pkase give some reprints of your genetical work or so-
me reference of other work on a similar genus.

Thanking in advance

Sincerely Yours

Yisesaasng
f aie Améerico Groszma
14 1S

AG/GCP