RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
The State University of New Jersey

INSTITUTE OF MICROBIOLOGY

NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY
December 17, 1956 CHARTER 7-1766

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

The University of Wisconsin
College of Agriculture
Department of Genetics
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Dear Joshua:

I'm really surprised, after poor Mark Adams! devastating blast
at the Macy Foundation Symposium, that you found anything worth reading
in it!

The pneumococci must have some very active and complete
transferases in order to build up so many type-specific substances often
from only a very few sugars. It ought to be possible to use such enzymes
in vitro, perhaps with a little of the appropriate DNA to give direction to
the process. I would gladly encourage you to go into ite+it would take an
experienced enzyme chemist, but with good bacteriological technique, for
the bugs are virulent.

Sincerely,

Michael Heidelberger

MH:DP