MAY 81964
Braunschweig, May 5th 1964

Dear Joshual

First of all excuse that I am occupying your time with my problems
but I thimk nobody else can give me suggestions in my case than youe
As you have said, since the year in Madison I am spoiled for Europe.
Beside this the improvement of my personal situation here in Germany
grows very slowly, the constitution of our universities makes a
peculiar kind of nepotism and patronage very coymon. I am named of
course for chairs in genetics or microbiology ir. Tiibingen, Giessen,
Kiel and Erlangen, but it is more than dubious that I am succesful
in any place. In end of April I met during a svmposiun in the insti-
tute of genetics in the university of Cologne “‘r. Lauriston C.
Marshall from the administrative staff of the graduate research
center of the Southwest ir Dallas,Texas. He is purchasing people
for the new research center. My friends W. Harm snd C. Bresch from
Cologne and other scientists fron Germany are definitely decidet
to go to Dallas and asked me to sake the same resolution. Hir. L. C.
Marshall will give his offer in three to four weeks or so, Mr.
Marshall told me, that you are in the advisory council of the center
and so I am sure that you are acquainted with all details and cir-
cumstances of the project. Now I wokld like to consult you: is it
prudent and expedient to go to Dallas?

Perhaps it is important to you to know, that ny work on Pseudomonas
and Rhizobium is in good progress. Since one year I am working
mainly with starforming Rhizobia, it is possible to show conjugation
during starformation, to map many loci for selected and nonselected
markers und to follow the pattern of the conjugation process. It
seems possible that stars are convenient models to investigate the
recembinatien preeess since after conjugation starcells become per-
sistent zygotes and it is possible to separate them from vegetative
cells.
Few weeks ago I was glad to read your article on exobiology and to
see your picture in the @erman paper ,die Zeit”. The paper has a
very high edition and hence your article has informed many people.
I am reading die Zeit for four years, she is still our best weekly
paper I think.
In the beginning of April we have had the opportunity to met the
Srskovs here. We see us about one time the year and we have a good

and cordial friendship.

Since some time I am corresponding with Bruce Stocker in London.

He saw my electronmicrographs on flegell@ and on fimbriae acting

on starformation and will make slides of the» for a sy.posiun con-
tribution on fimbriae and flagella-at the A. S. "*. reeting in
Washington D. C. this month,
With Barbaras and my best regards to Esther and vou

and all good wishes

ee yours

: Wolfram Heumann
N@ Bot. Inst. T. H. b
Braunschwe EAAAS
: ‘umbo str. ,
4 Germany