March 30, 1976

It was most thoughtful of you to have kept me in mind for advice
about the trust you are planning to establish.

There are a number of ways you could proceed that could maximize
your confidence in the ways your trust funds will be used. You might,
for example, wish to get more birds with the same stone by selecting
institutions or investigators that you wish to help at the same time
that you further research progress on the problems of glycogen storage
disease. If you do not have a personal attachment to another university,
however, I hope you might consider our own department as a beneficiary.
Federal funding of health research has become highly precarious, and
during the recent inflationary stress, our budget in real dollar value
has declined almost 30%. This works a particular hardship on the younger
research fellows and graduate students, support for whom is dying up
rapidly.

May I urge, however, that whomever you choose as beneficiary, you
should broaden the scientific framework of your trust. Glycogen storage
disease is representative of a wider range of genetic diseases of
metabolism. Scientific knowledge is a fabric, not a single thread, and
one cannot sensibly separate progress on one specific disease from adswaneas
on other similar genetic problems. (Historically, we would have no under-
standing of glycogen storage disease at all except for Cori's previous
work on the breakdown of starbh and sugars). Genetic disease of metabolism
does form a natural category of research effort. In addition, I am sure
that any responsible investigator you sultimately support with funds so
identified will be especially attentive to leads that would more
immediately be pertinent to glygogen storage.

Should we continue this discussion by phone conversation? I think
I can give you advice that responds to your own stated needs, without
intruding with our own research program more than you ask to hear. If you
wish, then please call me at your convenience at (415)497~5801.

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
JL/rr Professor of Genetics