MCMASTER UNIVERSITY
HAMILTON, ONTARIO

DEPARTMENT OF BOTANY

January 7, 1952.

Dr. Joshua Lederberg,
Department of Genetics,
University of Wisconsin,
Madison 6, Wisconsin,

U. S.A.

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

Thank you for your letter of Dee, 28
regarding our paper on terramycin, The references
you call to our attention are pertinent and your
interest is appreciated,

In answer to your question, I may state
that we have no reliable ana satisfactory evidence
yet of the alteration or elimination of the micro-
symbionts in treated weevils. While the presence
of the microorganisms usually may be established by
microscopic examination, it is very difficult to
confirm their absence.

A reliable method for culturing the
microsymbionts would be of great value and we are
making efforts in that direction, we are also
expanding the antibiotic phase of the work by
testing a variety of antibiotics against the weevils.

Sincerely yours,

1 Wen

JJM:ek J.J. Miller,
Associate Professor of Botany.