BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
ASSOCIATED UNIVERSITIES, INC.
UPTON, L.L, N.Y. 11973 REFER:

TEL. AREA CODE 516 YAPHANK 4-6262

DEPARTMENT OF
BIOLOGY

March 6, 1969

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

Genetics Department

Stanford University Medical School
300 Pasteur Drive

Palo Alto, California 94305

Dear Dr. Lederberg:

I am replying to your telephone call of February 28 regarding
work on the radiosensitivity of microorganisms isolated from highly radio-
active environments near large gamma sources or around nuclear reactors.

While several people have studied samples from our outdoor gamma
sources here, very little of this has so far been published but whatever
information is available I am sending under separate cover.

I know that work has been published from at least two other
outdoor installations but cannot readily put my hands on the exact
references. I would, therefore, suggest that you write directly to the
' following institutions where I know such work has been done.

Dr. J. Sandfaer

Division of Agricultural Research

Danish Atomic Energy Research Establishment
Risd6, Raskilde

Denmark

Dr. K. Yamakawa

Institute of Radiation Breeding
Ohmiya, Ibaraki

Japan

Several other large outdoor gamma sources exist and I do not
know specifically that work has been carried on but in case you wish
to contact them, the following are appropriate names and addresses.

Dr. D. DeZeeuw

Institute for Atomic Sciences in Agriculture
Wageningen

Netherlands

SHY

MINN
Dr. Joshua Lederberg -2- March 6, 1969

Dr. H. Gaul

Max-Planck Institute fur Zuchtungsforschung
5 Koln-Vogelsang

Germany

Dr. C. Gomez-Campo

Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Agronomicas
Avda. Puerto de Hierro

Madrid, Spain

Dr. A. R. Gopal-Ayengar, Director
Biology Group

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Modular Laboratories

Trombay, Bombay-74

India

Prof. Ake Gustafsson
Institute of Genetics
Iund University

Lund, Sweden

Dr. H. Be. Newcombe

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
Biology and Health Physics Division
Chalk River

Ontario, Canada

Dr. Howard T. Odum

Department of Zoology

University of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, N. Carolina 27514

Dr. Thomas D. Rudolph

Lakes States Forest Experiment Station
Institute of Forest Genetics

Star Route No. 2

Rhinelander, Wisconsin 54501

Dr. RR. 5S. Russell
Agricultural Research Council
Radiobiological Laboratories
Letcombe Regis, Wantage,
Berks, England
Dr. Joshua Lederberg -3- March 6, 1969

Dr. G. T. Scarascia-Mugonozza
Laboratorio per le Applicazioni

in Agric., Centro Studi Nucleari
Casaccia, C.P.L., S. Maria di Galeri
Rome, Italy

Dr. M. S. Swaminathan

Botany Department

Indian Agricultural Research Institute
Delhi, India

Dr. A. T. Wallace

Plant Science Section, Bldg. OH
University of Florida
Agricultural Experiment Stations
Gainesville, Florida 32603

Director, Irradiated Food Products Division
U. S. Army Natick Laboratories
Natick, Massachusetts O1760

In addition to these names, there are, of course, a large number
of nuclear reactors many of which may have high radiation intensities
in water shielding. As I explained on the telephone, I recently had an
inquiry from the IAEA concerning this matter and I would suggest that a
single letter to Dr. R. N. Mukherjee, Unit of Radiation Biology, Division
of Life Sciences, IAEA, Vienna 1, Kaerntnerring, Austria would be appropriate
since he is trying to coordinate and collect information concerning highly
resistant organisms in liquids used for shielding nuclear reactors.

There are also a fair number of laboratories in this country
and elsewhere involved in food irradiation projects but I regret that I
do not have a list of these. The Director of the Army Natick Research
Laboratories might be able to supply you with the names and addresses of
appropriate people in other institutions.

I am enclosing, under separate cover, some of my own reprints
relating to chromosome size and radiosensitivity. In addition one of
these has a little data on radiosensitivity of blue-green algae in soil.
There are two or three papers currently in press in Radiation Botany on
the radiosensitivity of blue-green algae. These could only be sent out
with the specific approval of the authors. If you would like to see these,
please make a specific request and I shall write to the authors asking
their permission.
Dr. Joshua Lederberg -y- March 6, 1969

I shall be glad to cooperate with your student studying this
topic and help supply samples or make laboratory space available if he
wishes to conduct preliminary screenings here.

Yours very sincerely,

Vly Mero

Arnold H. Sparrow,
Senior Radiobiologist

rr