DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE

 

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE o BETHESDA 14, MD.;

 

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

May 5, 1958

Dr. Joshua Lederberg

The University of Wisconsin
College of Agriculture
Department of Genetics
Madison 6, Wisconsin

Dear Joshua:

I am sorry that we were anable to keep the position open
for Rotman. I did not hear from him until the 30th of April
When I came back from the Wisconsin meeting, I was happy to
learn that Mike Yarmolinsky had (against my expectations)
decided to turn down Novelli'’s offer and stick with me. I told
him, however, about our contact with Rotman and asked him to
hold off for two weeks. After that time I found it advisable
to secure Mike for my little department. Besides, so many
colleagues had been speaking in favorable terms of him that
it would be unnatural not to secure him..

I did telephone Bernie Davis concerning Rotman. Bernie
was rather cool as he often is with young people, of course,
and added that he did not have the faintest idea whether Rotman
would come to Harvard. He felt that Rotman had exhausted his
fellowships. I have mentioned Rotman's name to McElroy and
perhaps there might be a chance later. I am, at least, only
thankful that you contacted him since I feel that he might fit
in sooner or later.

Today I am rehearsing for cell wall analysis on the 3096
mutants, growing 11 liters. If you could find an epimerase-less
mutant in Salmonella (selection in anti-serum in the absence
and presence of galactose), or, as suggested by Novick, in_Shigella
Senki, using host ranges, it would be more rewarding.

We have made significant progress on the question of the
architecture of yeast 4-epimerase (more in the next letter). Hence,
K,, temperature mutants defect in epimerase would be particularly

It :
wefcome at this time.

Write again soon.

Sincerely,
!
C7 oN,
Herman M. Kalckar
HMK: 1h
National Cancer Institute National Heart Institute National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases
National Institute of Dental Research National Institute of Mental Health National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness The Clinical Center

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