LoeJUL=75 21:09219=PDT,19207000000000000
Datet 16 JUL 1975 2109=P0T

From: SMITH

Subjects: WIPKE'S PROPOSAL

Tos LEVINTHAL

ccs LEDERBERG, FEIGENBAUM, BUCHANAN, SMITH

CARL'S COMMENTS WERE BRIEF ANO TO THE POINT, HE THINKS THE RESEARCH
IS IMPORTANT TO CHEMISTRY, THE COMPLEMENTARY

NATURE OF OUR WORK WITH HIS IS AN IMPORTANT BENEFIT, AND THAT THE
APPLICATION SHOULD BE SUPPORTED,

I WILL EMBELLISH THOSE COMMENTS BRIEFLY, THE FUTURE OF AT (OR
SEMANTIC INFO, PROCESSINGr OR NON=NUMERICAL METHODS OR WHATEVER

YOU WISH TO CALL THEM) APPLICATIONS TO CHEMISTRY IS QUESTIONABLE. BUT
POTENTIALLY VERY IMPORTANT, FUNDING DICTATES WE ATTACH A BIOMEDICAL
RELEVANCE TO THIS WORK, WHICH IS EASY BECAUSE OF THE MANY

INTERESTING PROBLEMS IN HEALTH*RELATED FIELDS,

WIPKE'S PROGRAM, I -THINK, IS THE MOST GENERAL AND POTENTIALLY USEFUL
OF THOSE SYNTHESIS PROGRAMS WHICH HAVE BEEN WRITTEN, IT'S
AVAILABILITY ON SUMEX WOULD NICELY COMPLEMENT OUR WORK, THERE 1s
CONSIDERABLE ROOM FOR COLLABORATION AND WIPKE HAS BEEN MUCH MORE
REASONABLE ABOUT SUCH PROSPECTS THAN IN THE PAST, IN FACT, WE HAVE
ALREADY DISCUSSED ONE SUCH TOPIC, THAT OF DRUG DESIGN,

AN OLD FIELO WHERE SOME NEW IDEAS ARE BEING TRIED,

THERE ARE OTHER, MORE PRACTICAL REASONS WHY SUPPORTING HIS
APPLICATION MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA, BETWEEN OUR GROUPS

WE WOULD BE WORKING ON PROGRAMS WHICH CAN ASSIST CHEMISTS IN TWO OF
THE MAJOR AREAS OF CHEMICAL ENDEAVOR, THE FAR@FETCHED IDEA OF

USING DENDRAL PROGRAMS TO SUGGEST STRUCTURES ANO A SYNTHESIS

PROGRAM TO SUGGEST SYNTHESES TO VERIFY THESE STRUCTURES WOULD BECOME
A REALITY, SUCH PROGRAMS WILL NOT FIND A HOME IN THE PROPOSED.
NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPUTATION IN CHEMISTRY, IN ALL LIKLIHOOD,

I THINK THAT HAVING SUCH A CONCENTRATION OF THESE PROGRAMS AT SUMEX
MIGHT MAKE POSSIBLE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM AGENCIES OTHER THAN NIH,

LET ME KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO BECOME MORE SPECIFIC ON
ANY OF THE ABOVE,
DENNIS