THE BACTERIA A TREATISE ON STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION EDITORS PUBLISHERS I. €. GUNSALUS ACADEMIC PRESS INC. DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY 125 EAST 23 STREET UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS NEW YORK 10, NEW YORK URBANA, ILLINOIS R. Y. STANIER DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY September 27 7 1955 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA BERKELEY 4, CALIFORNIA Dr. Joshua Lederberg, Department of Genetics, University of Wisconsin, Madison 6, Wisconsin. Dear Joshua: A statement of purpose and two copies of a proposed out- line are enclosed to solicit your aid, Before inviting qualified investigators to contribute in assembling, in available form, the accumulated data on micro- organisms for the use of students and research workers, we should very much appreciate your criticism of the proposed out- line and suggestions for its improvement. If you would jot your initial reactions on one of the copies of the outline and return it in the enclosed envelope, it would be very helpful to our planning. We shall, of course, appreciate your writing your more considered opinions at a later time, retaining the second copy of the outline for this purpose. We anticipate getting underway with the first volume rather promptly and would very much appreciate your counsel and aid, Yours very truly, . Gunsalus ’ Ye. Stanier ICGeb Ene. OCT 3 1955 THE BACTERIA A Treatise on Structure and Function Volume I Physiology, Structure, Genetics Introduction Part I: Physiology Chapter Part Part O OA OW Fw he 10 1 12 13 Energy Sources: Fermentation Energy Sources: Respiration Energy Sources: Electron Transport Systems Energy Sources: Photosynthesis Biosynthesis: Amino Acids Biosynthesis: Purines and Pyrimidines Biosynthesis; Proteins and Nucleic Acids Biosynthesis: Vitamins and Coenzymes Biosynthesis: Sugars and Polysaccharides Growth: Quantitative Nutritional Requirements Growth: The Lag and Exponential Phases Growth: Stationary and Declining Phases Ecology: The Enrichment Culture Method It: Structure Lh 15 16 17 18 19 III: 20 21 22 23 ak Range of Construction and Organization Internal Structure of the Vegetative Cell Surface Layers and Their Function: Capsule surface Layers and Their Function: Cell Wall Surface Layers and Their Function: Permeability and Transport Bacterial Mavement; Flagellar and Gliding Movement The Endospore. See Vol. 3, Chapter 10 Genetics Mutation selection Recombination Transformation and Transduction Induced Enzyme Formation THE BACTERIA Volume IT True Bacteria: Gram-Negative Groups Chapter 1 Pseudomonas and Vibrio 2 Acetobacter 3 Azotobacter 4 Rhizobium 5 Spirillum 6 Nitrifying Bacteria 7 Thiobacillus 8 Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria 9 Methane Bacteria 10 Photosynthetic Bacteria 1 Coli-aerogenes Group 12 Bacteroides 13 Cocci 1h Caryophanon 15 Sphaerotilus and Leptothrix 16 Caulobacter THE BACTERIA Volume III Part I; True Bacteria: Gram-Positive Groups Chapter 1 Micrococcus and Sarcina 2 Lactic Acid Bacteria: Cocci 3 Lactic Acid Bacteria: Rods u Coryneform Bacteria 5 Propionic Acid Bacteria 6 Mycobacteria 7 Proactinomycetes 8 Streptomycetes 9 Micromonospora 10 Sporeformers: Cytology and Physiology of the Endospore Ll Yporeformers: Bacillus L2 Sporeformers; Clostridium Part II: Gliding Bacteria 13 Myxobacteria Lu Filamentous Gliding Forms Part III: Budding Bacteria 15 Hyphomicrobium and Rhodomicrobium THE BACTERIA A Treatise on Structure and Function Scope and Purpose The enclosed plan reflects our belief that a comprehensive and systematic account of the biology of bacteria would be of value both to students and to research workers, It is true that a succession of advanced textbooks and treatises have provided reasonably satisfactory syntheses of knowledge about the pathogenic bacteria over the past forty years; but during this period there has been no attempt at systematization of knowledge about the other bacterial groups. We envisage a treatise in three volumes, (each of approximately six hundred pages). Volume I will deal with the general properties of bacteria, and will be divided into three sections concerned respectively with general physiology, with genetics, and with structure. The remaining two volumes will be devoted to detailed accounts of the individual groups of bacteria. For each group, we plan to include information on enrichment procedures, isolation, cultivation, special biochemical properties, and any special features of morphology and structure. Each chapter will conclude with a brief account of the more important species and a discussion of the role of the group in nature. As a whole, the treatise would thus provide an up-to-date summary of the general biology of bacteria, together with large amounts of detailed information, now not readily available, on the special properties of the various component groups. It is clear that in order to keep this treatise within reasonable bounds some aspects of bacteriology must be excluded from consideration. For example, we do not 2lan to include sections dealing with host-parasite relations or with mechanisms of infection and resistance. Detailed consideration of industrial and agricultural applications will likewise be excluded. Although the main purpose of the treatise is not to provide an account of bacteriological methods, the principles of special methods essential to the study of particular groups of bacteria will be included, September, 1955 - R v eaneanus