NOV 1 8 1963

STATE oF NEW YORK DIVISION OF LABORATORIES
AND RESEARCH
DEPARTMENT oF HEALTH

N
HOLLIS S. INGRAHAM, M.D. llth adobe iad

 

COMMISSIONER
ALBANY 1, NEW YORK

November 14, 1963 CABLE ADDRESS “LABORATORY'

Airmail

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

Department of Genetics

Stanford University Medical School
Palo Alto, California

Dear Doctor Lederberg:

I am writing to ask you if you would care to give your
advice and comment upon a project in which I have been invited to
participate. This concerns a micrometeorite collecting program
which is underway under the supervision of Dr. Curtis Hemenway,
of the Dudley Observatory here in Albany. His program involves
various collecting technics for micrometeorites using balloons
and rockets and is due to participate in the next manned space
eraft program.

The point at which I would come into this program is
to supply the biological facilities and additional collecting
procedures required for tests to determine whether any of the
micrometeorites collected might be biologically viable. We are
in a strong position here for available technics for detecting
and determining the nature of ordinary microorganisms including
viruses and could, of course, set up special culture conditions
if it seemed feasible that unusual organisms might be encountered
which could require special environments.

My main questions stem from the fact that I am a relative
newcomer to this field, no doubt in a way like everyone else, but
I would like to find out more about the degree of sophistication
which this field has gained and how much work has already been
done, assuming that it is published and readily available. Also,
it would be of interest to know what similar programs are under
way.

Any information you can give and suggestions you may care ~-
to make concerning current and previous work and any bibliography
that you can supply will be very much appreciated.

Yours sincerely,

Lol. Hotrliin -

John Hotechin, M.D.
Assistant Director

JH/dj
ec: Dr. C. Hemenway