BACTERIAL PHYSIOLOGY UNIT
HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL

25 SHATTUCK STREET
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02118
TELEPHONE: (617) 732—-2022

     

   

A
0, ran
Ce OF THe PRES

Nov. i, 1985.

Dear Josh, _ Wer; (raza)

IT recall from van Niel’s course that Beijerinck introduced the term
auxanography for testing the nutritional activity of materials on plates
heavily seeded with a bacterial strain; but I cannot document it. When I got
into nutritional studies on mutants people working on antibiotics were using
Paper chromatography, followed by incubation on seeded plates, to compare
antibacterial compounds, but I don’t recall whether I adapted this technique
to my purposes or whether others had already used such auxanograms. I’ve just
looked up my 1950 Experientia paper, which summed up all my @arly work, and I
find an illustration of syntrophism between adjacent streaks, but no mention
of auxanograms. Sorry my memory isn’t better,

Your may have a sentimental interest in the enclased. The department put on a
grand party to celebrate my retirement, and though Gloria interrupted the
first day's activities we were fortunately able to reschedule for the next day
and did not lose too many Participants. It was very heartwarming to see
almost all my former students and associates again and watch them present a
lively symposium on a variety of topics. I was tempted to invite you as a
moderator but decided to stick with the defined group.

IT have handed my lab and research program over to a long-time associate, FP. C.
Tai, and as emeritus I am continuing to have an office in the dept. and to
teach, and I enjoy having more time for writing. [In a curious twist, a week
before my party, while preparing to give a talk on antibiotic actions on the
ribosome at a SGM symp. in England, I got a brainstorm that explains all the
features of the lethal action of aminoglycosides. It turns out that all the
theories are right, in the sense of sharing in the action: membrane damage,
misreading (which autocatalytically increases the membrane damage by inserting
garbled protein), blockade of initiating ribosomes, and irreversible uptake
are all essential. Thus ends a pursuit of more than 25 years,

Warm regards,

So eeens,

Bernard DB. Davis

rn .