DEPARTMENT OF MICROBIOLOGY 
THE MEDICAL COLLEGE OF WISCONSIN 
561 NORTH FIFTEENTH STREET 
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN 53233 
(414) 272-5450 
17 February 1978 
Dr. Donald S. Fredrickson, Director 
National Institutes of Health 
Bethesda, Maryland 20014 
Re: Transformation of yeast cells with recombinant DNA. 
Dear Dr. Fredrickson, 
Due to the recent announcement from Dr. Gerald Fink 
that yeast may be successfully transformed with yeast- 
E. coll hybrid DNA plasmids, I respectfully request 
TEat this new host-vector system be approved by NIH. 
The reasons for approving such a new host-vector system 
are many: 
1 ) The yeast system is safer than Jh coll 
since Saccharomyces is not a commensal of man, 
2) Since NSF consents to the yeast host-vector 
system, grantees from NIH are put at a distinot 
disadvantage in being deprived of this system, and 
3) The yeast system offers the first demonstrable 
eucaryotic system in which tran sformation works, 
thus availing a more apt cell in which to study 
eucaryotic regulation. 
I write unbiased since I am not currently an NIH grant 
recipient (although I will submit a grant proposal in 
the near future). I realize NIH, and specifically the 
Office of Recombinant DNA Activities have been "under 
fire" for such frequent revision of the original Re - 
combinant DNA Guidelines , however, this rapidly developing 
area deserves an equally rapidly developing political super- 
structure with which it can be regulated. In the present 
case, since less and not more danger is afforded the human 
community, I urge immediate attention to revision of the 
Gul delln es in order to allow transformation of yeast cells 
with yeast-E. coll hybrid plasmid DNA. 
Yours sincerely, 
Bruce Molholt, Fh.D. 
Assistant Professor 
cc: Dr. Daphne Kamely 
Office of Recombinant DNA Activities 
ESTABLISHED IN 1913 AS THE MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE 
[Appendix A — 238] 
