cc for Dr. Lederberg

October 19, 1966

Dr, John Westley
Stanford University Medical School
Palo Alto, California

Dear Doctor Westley:

I very much enjoyed the discussion with you and Doctor Leventhal.
It was most interesting to hear of your elegant fluorescent detecting technic. The
possibilities for all kinds of applications in microbiology are very exciting.

We are currently preparing both terrestrial organism exposure
experiments and sterile collection experiments for the Gemini 12 spacecraft early
next month. We will again be flying sterile methyl cellulose surfaces for the pre-
sumed c llection of microorganisme in the vicinity of the spacecraft whether of
exobiologica!l or terrestrial (spacecraft) origin. As you recall I] mentioned it seems
likely that possible spacecraft contaminating organisms, e.g., from the urine dis-
posal unit, may tn all probability tmpinge upon our cellection surfaces but will
probably be inactivated by the radiation received during the exposure period (due
to be several hours). There seems a fair possibility that nonviable organisms may
be returned to earth which could conceivably be detectable by your technics.

With this in mind, if you are interested, I would propose to split
one of these collection surfaces in half (unless we get more space than we currently
expect, in which case you could have a whole surface) and send you the one-half
while working up microbiologically the other half ourselves. This would give you
approximately 2 sq. cm. of exposed surface represen’s< by a piece of freeze dried
methyl cellulose approximately 1-1/2 millimeters thick. This has a consistency of
a light but fairly tenacious blotting- paper-like material which is of course fully water
soluble. It does not seem likely that one could expect to collect more than a few bus-
dred microorganisms at the most, so 1 presume we are still below the threshold of
sensitivity of your present test, In this case it may be worth retaining the material
for a period of time under vacuum dessication in the event you expect to get greater
sensitivity in the near future. Since this is the last Gemini shot, we will not have
an opportunity like this again until probably some time in second quarter of next
year when we expect to have a similar experiment on board the Apollo spacecraft.
However, unfortunately the collecting device for the Apollo shots at present is not
suitable for adequate sterilization, to make an experiment of this type really signi-
ficant.
Dr. John Westley -2- October 19, 1966

At the present time I am hopeful of obtaining support to fly a purely
microbiological type of collector, particularly if, as agein I hope, we are able to
make collections from the libration point concentration of particles in the vicinity
of the moon.

In addition to the exposed surface, I will expect to send you a
similar portion of both Might control which is flown in an inverted shielded posi-
ticn, and also cur laboratory control which remains under sterile conditions in a
vacuum dessicator throughout the experimental period.

Iam highly interested in the possibilities which you and Doctor
Leventhal outlined, of adapting similar fluorescent technics to the microscopic
study of individual cells. However at the present time our exobiology support
facilities are insufficient to carry this workload. Perhaps we will be able to ex-
plore this in the future.

I attach coples of some of our earlier resulis. The Gemini ones
are still being written up.

With best regards.

Yours sincerely,

John Hotchin, M.D.
Research Associate and
Assistant Director

JH/as

Encls.