November 30, 1948.

Dr. Ae P. MeIlroy,

Institute of Pethology,
Western Pennsylvania Hospétal,
Pittsburgh.

Tear Tr. McIireg,

Your peper in J. Beet. on the influence of sociw: ecetate on
dissociation in a streptococcus is of such great interest in bac-
terial genetics that I hope you will be willing to respone to
my Yequest for further information on one point.

On pe 552 you refer to an experiment in which 2 § cells were
introduced into acetate broth heavily seecec with: M. I would ap-
preciate it very much if you would send me a more detailed account,
as this seems to te the foundation stone of your argument for
direct adaptation. Also, please send me a reprint.

to you intend to pursue studies on the population dynamics of
the u-S transformation? I am impressed with the possibility that
the type of analysis which Preer has done on Paramecium (see
Genetics, 1948 or Cole Spr. Harbor Symp. 1946) night illuminate
the mechanism here.

With best regards for Dr. Mellon,
Yours sincerely,

Joskua Lederberg
Assistant Professor of Genetics