DEPARTMENT OF BACTERIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY

        HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

            25 SHATTUCK STREET

        BOSTON IS. MASSACHUSETTS

December 30, I.957

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Department of Medical Genetics
3ZeZZeZZ$2 Wisconsin
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Dear Joshua:

Thank you very much for your helpful comments on Boris* I could not
find any ready way of modifying the criticisms I had made on his manu-
script, but I tried to soften the blow by sending an encouraging cover-
ing letter.  A copy is enclosed.  I do hope these criticisms do not
discourage him from rewriting the paper, or from feeling comfortable
about the prospect of coming to this laboratory.  I suppose there might
be more tactllways of handling this, but I find that the problem of
analyzing a manuscript is much like working out a crossword puzzle?
may add that I am finding editorial work for the J.Bact. quite a burden,
since I don't see how it can be useful to recommend modification of a
paper unless the recommendations are made quite specific and detailed.

I was interested by your comments on Chargaff's paper, He didn't tell
me what he wanted the mutant for, and I could certsinly have given him
plenty of more stable ones.  I was certainly amazed that he was willing
to attach such significance to really modest increases above background
mutation rates. Incidentally, I have had a graduate student trying to
do transformations this fall in E. coli DAP-less protoplasts. It has been
my thought that the wall rather thaxe membrane might be what determines
whether DNA can enter a cell, and one should systematically test all pos-
sible ways of modifying the wall.  After training herself to get transforma-
tion with pneumococcus sheds now tried a couple of times to transfer
streptomycin resistance in E. coli, but without success*  I suppose someone
ought to try to duplicate C%rz's findings with more stable markers,  and
publish even negative results, but I don't think that would be q fun.

I am very disappointed that you won't be able to come here to give a Mueller
Memorial Lecture this spring, but I can readily understand your reasons. I
would therefore like to ask you whether you would be able to come here next
fall.  Indeed, there would be some advantage in having these annual lectures
take place, so far as  ossible,
ology.  If we   $     while the medical students are taking Bacteri-
          arrang  the course next year in the same general order as this
year, which will probably be the case, the students will have had Bacterial.
Genetics by the middle of October.

We were excited to learn from Al Coons about the results of your recent experi-
ments with antibody formation by single cells.
hit the jackpot again!              It sounds to me as though you've

W&th best wishes for the coming year,