wind E. Fraq#&4
9th March, 1956.

QJATUNE OF 0

   The work is concerned with what is probably the most fundamental

of all questions concerning the mechanism of' living processes, namely

the relationship between protein and nuclelo acid in the living cell.

It Is known that the nucleic acids carry genetic Information, and

that they are intimately conneoted with the synthesis of proteins.

idhile a considerable amount is known about the molecular structure

both of the nucleic acids and of proteins, almost nothing Is known

of the $r~ vivq relationship between the two types of' molecule.
plant viruses consist of ribonucleic acBd and protein, and provide
the ideal system far the study ai" the & _YiHa structure of bath riba-

nucleic acid and protein and of the structural relationship of the

one to the other,

The

Such a study Is being undertaken in this labora-

tory, using the methods of X-ray crystallography.

   Althaugk the work is at present being done exclusively on plant

viruses, there is no doubt that a largo part of the results obtained

wlll also be relevant to the problems af animal viruses - the smaller

animal viruses have recently been shown to be of similar composition

to the plant viruses, and to be crystallisable.

Wi"llRE OF THE EESEkRCH

J

The highly regular and ordered stmcture of viruses makes  it

is, however, asssn%lally o lang-brra Peeaarah problems and a sub*
stantid Fcb884Wclh group will probably require from 5 to 3.0 gears
to achieve the p~lnnigsl results which we seek.

Ibur Wa~k on the strUctx%??ss ai vgruses has been mah possible bi

the generous eollabaration af blalsgista ipad chemlsts in virus lsbora-

tarles elsewhere.

(Qerataq) chemicaf, asyd slectaon ~~~CFOSGO~~ studies of viruses have
made very rspid progress In Lhe Last few years.
laboratories (mq indead, any other \rims laboratory) irr squigpeM2
to carry brut s%mct~S%l arkdilas by EBLBBM of X-ray diffrac%l.on, aad
eacsh has theratare sent u8 a mnatber of iaportant: new virus derivatives

far study.
of these two great virus laboratories. This collaboration Is graving

most fmItrn.

Zrr psrticlular, at Berkaloy (U.S,A.) and Wblrril[sn

Nelther of them

Our results are mas intlmataly canmated wlth tM wopk

At present we are the anLg group mywhere in the world @wrying
                      One ather laboratory, in

out this type of` smdp in virus structure.
the W,S,A., Is mast lavishly equippsd for tihe purpose,, and is abaut
to start a similar prsgramm.  Tha extenslvb nsecnsrure~~nts wMch we
have bean lsaMng aver the pas% twa ytbara put 1x8 in an adVtUk%a(f4M3U8
parrftPan for the bmediate fitwe*
in this o~try, however, it is essential that we sh&d be we11
emugh a~~ippdl to enable us to keep paee vith this Alarerica1 labora-

lcf thls work is to be kept; gal~lg

tory.

   The type of work which we

Importams la bfolagical acicsn

have undertaken is ai ftmlaaental

er It Is also, inwrltablp, exgen

To prmersd effialently in auah work It fs nauessary to be able to
plan ahead for a period of abaut 5 years.  Hhile it is not, of ccntrsq

possible to foresee detailed requirements aver such a period, a very

approximate general astljnate aan be given.

In makine this approxlnate general estimate it shcUuXd be emphas-

%%e4 that this drwbs not take into carzcaunt; thte very substantial

amount of speaidl aqullpaent which la already In the passesoion ai

the Blrlcbeck College Crystallography Labaratmy, and which we are

able to use.  If bur research pragraglgae wBm to be crarried aut in

any other laboratory not already equipped In this way the estimated

cost would be many times hlgher.

(b)

The research teeam shauld amslst aft

R.E. Pranklln
2 research assfstants (at present J.T. Firwh and K.C. Holmes]
1 teoUcian

A. JCLW

1 computing assistant.

The man amual amount to be spent on salaries over a period of five
years would be of ths order of %6,000.

laboratory for technical and administrative servIce8 consumable8 I

(a g&&al, @Qq&J@J& 8

As the research develops new speuiallzed aquipment will be can-

tlmally rcbqufrtad.
mean annual Eaxpentiiture might be El15t?6-e,000.

This item Is the mast diffiotttlt to erstfglate. The

ce 1 e

   Maney will bs required for spclal pwpases f'rm time to time.

Pas exampXi3 stme large-scale computing work wf3.l haare to be done on

an slestronia computer sueh as ACE at the N,P,L.

This may require

txp to E500 p*ar

(2) W&

lLs shted in previous reports, it As limpartant that arrangements

should be anade far a biochararist to be engaged to work with the Birk-

beck group, to prepare the special virus derivatives required  far

struo%wal erbdier3. A separate budget shad ba made for this.

Costs ntight be of the order of f3,OOO p.8.

Making sme allawame, Ear arbadily rising msta, and mJuil

the requirement of a biochemist, the aflMupl east of natntaining In
Bfrkbeak College 8 research group which uotzld effiloian43.y apply itself
to thls sfm3y of the lltwdamental probleas of virus stmature wmld be

of the order of ClQ,QW p.&.