APPENDIX 9 



KEPORT ON THE DIVISION OF EADIATION AND 

 ORGANISMS 



Sm : I have the honor to submit the following report on the activities 

 of the Division of Radiation and Organisms during the year ended 

 June 30, 1942 : 



Many changes have taken place in both personnel and physical equip- 

 ment of the Division of Radiation and Organisms during the past year. 

 Members of the Division were given Civil Service status on July 1, 

 1941, and the work is now carried on from appropriations allotted to 

 the Astrophysical Observatory. The laboratory has been remodeled 

 and most of the rooms repainted. The removal of the pipe shop to the 

 United States National Museum made available much needed space 

 and has relieved the crowded condition that existed. These changes 

 brought about considerable temporary disruption in the regular work. 



Different members of the Division have contributed directly or indi- 

 rectly to work pertaining to war activities. The regular research work 

 may, for convenience, be placed under three group headings : Photo- 

 synthesis, plant growth and radiation, and development of apparatus 

 and methods. 



Dr. Jack E. Myers continued his work with algae on problems related 

 to photosynthesis until the expiration of his National Research Fellow- 

 ship grant in September. He devised a method for the contiuous cul- 

 ture of algae with equipment built in the Division's laboratory. This 

 apparatus he took with him to continue the work at the University 

 of Texas as a cooperative project with our Division. The bearing this 

 work has on our general program is that of obtaining uniform biologi- 

 cal material that will give reproducible results under similar experi- 

 mental conditions. 



Mrs. Florence Meier Chase completed her study on the economic uses 

 of algae and submitted a paper covering the subject for publication in 

 the Smithsonian Annual Report for 1941. 



Dr. Weintraub has completed a comprehensive review of the litera- 

 ture on plant respiration as affected by radiation. This was requested 

 by Botanical Review, a journal which specializes in the publication of 

 comprehensive technical reviews in the botanical field. This review 

 is especially useful as a background in some of our investigations. 



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