January 10, 1955
Dear Dr. Franklin:
I must apologize for having failed to send you any of our material thus far.  We ran into several emergency problems resulting from some greenhouse difficulties which required the exclusive attention of the staff.  As a result, we have not yet had a chance to make up a B8 preparation for you.  However, we expect to be able to get this done within a week or two.  I will write you air mail in advance of mailing the sample so you can be prepared for it.
While I was in Berkeley recently, Robley Williams told me of some electron microscope experiments with TMV.  He has observed in artificially broken rods fine threads which emerge from the center of the broken ends of the rods. He believes that these threads are the virus RNA because they are removed by treatment with ribonuclease.  I don't think that this evidence is very strong but thought that you would be interested in knowing that this group seems to be working on the notion that the nucleic acid is, in fact, in the center of the rod.
Under separate cover I am sending you reprints of our recent work in which you may be interested.
Sincerely yours,
Barry Commoner