84 a EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY. 



CHARLES E. MARSHALL. 



The investigational work of this department during the past 

 year has been greatly handicapped because we possessed no 

 laboratory facilities. Our recent entrance into the new labora- 

 tory of microbiology has removed the difficulties with which we 

 have had to contend in the past. We feel now that we are in 

 excellent quarters and that our work should develop. 



Dr. Van Suchtelen has pursued his soil studies preparatory 

 to the actual undertaking of the experiments. These have now 

 been under consideration for some months. He expects to be 

 in a position to push this work rapidly under present labora- 

 tory conditions. 



Dr. Itano has contributed, during the past year, work which 

 has been published in Bulletin No. 167 of the Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Experiment Station (January, 1916), entitled: 

 "I. The Relation of Hydrogen Ion Concentration of Media to 

 the Proteolytic Activity of Bacillus Subtilis. II. Proteolysis 

 of Strept. Erysipelatis and Strept. Lacticus compared under 

 Different Hydrogen Ion Concentration." The fire in the labo- 

 ratory in Amherst Center interfered with further development 

 of these investigations which he means to continue. 



The De Laval research is conducted through the instru- 

 mentality of graduate assistants. Mr. Hood, who is in general 

 charge of this work, reports very encouraging progress and the 

 accumulation of considerable data which will eventually be of 

 great value. Mr. Avery and Mr. Mutkekar are associated in 

 these investigations with Mr. Hood. These gentlemen give, as 

 understood, only part of their time to these studies. 



In addition to the above, Dr. Itano has done a great deal of 

 test work for the local board of health and the physicians of 

 the town. These tests have had much value for the laboratorv 



