7 February I.962 The Brownstone Tower Everybody who receives this Journaa is aware of the initials DNA and RNA and of the current phrase "cracking the code" carried by both nucleic acids that determines what proteins shall be oyntheeieed in living cells. X wa6 curious to find out whether my unrefreshed, antebellum chemistry would enable me to underatand what ipi going on in this extremely active field of chemical genetics. For enlight-ment I went to our own National Institutes of Htbalth w. to see a young man, k. War8hallANirenberg, whose name, not yet in American Men of Science or on the rolls or the Washington Academy of Sciences, is becoming known nationally and internationally as a pioneer in "cracking the code." Organizationally, Dr. Nirenberg ira a member of the tetaff of the Section on Metabolic ffnzymss in the Laboratory ot Biochemistry and Metabolism, National Institute of Arthritis and Mstabolic Diseases. The chain of command begins with Dewitt Stotten, Jr., As)$oc!iate Director in Charge of Research, over Leon A. Heppel, Chief of the Laboratory, over Gordon Tcmkins, Chief of the Section, over Dr. Nirenberg# who has three professional asrociatecs (hoinrich J. Matthaei, Oliver W. Jones, and Samuel H. Barondes) and two loboratory aosistants, Physically, Dr. Nirenberg ie to be found in the D corridor on the eighth floor, northweet wing of the big Clinical Center. His name appears beside the door of room 13. Arriging ahead of the time of my appointment, I retreated when I found standing rocm only in 13, and little of that. The hall, too, wae lined with a variety of equipment that could not 'be accommodated in the laboratory rooms. At noon I met Dr. Nirenberg, and we went to lunch with Carl Brewer in the pleasant dining room of the new office building, No. 31, -2- which houses the Division of General Medical Sciences, the Division of Research Grants, and extramural program staffs of the reveral Xnrtitutes, At Lunch Dr. Nirenberg explained his work to me. As 1 understand it, he and hi8 asBociatee were the first to report synthesis of a known protein- like substance (polyphenylalanine) in a cell-free medium containing amino acids md a synthetic BNA (polyurfdylfc acid). This RNA wa8 specific for the polymerization of phenylalanine. Thurm it was shown how to go about the 'busineer of syntheafsing other proteins from other RNA6 of known canposition and eventually to relate the oequence of amino acids in the resulting protein to the sequence of basic groups in the template RNAr i.e., to decipher the Cod%, which irr believed to be univereal. Carl Brewer pointed out that the whole story of the development of concepts of the DNA-RNA role in heredity beginning in 1953 wara well told in a long article in the w Joxlf s'iineg of 2 February 1962 and, of course, many other popular articles have been written about the subject. Dr. Nfrenberg, whose work i6 outlined in the Time? story, endorsed it. I recommend it. Being engaged, as X am, bn derk work in biology, it was refreshing to be in the presence of one who is in hot pursuit of knowledge, who has more experiments in mind than he CM carry out. He is free to develop hire research ae he Bees fit and is really not under scientific direction of those named in the second paragraph. His work is controlled by his own thinking and by results obtained by others working along similar lines, Communication ie very important in euch a rapidly developing subject, and there is a grapevine that carries the word among the members of the D&T&-RNA fraternity. At lunch Dr. Nirenberg was wearing his urn white laboratory coat, a -39 symbol of his absorption in his work. X surmised that he might not count the hours he spends in the laboratory. "True', he said, and added that he lives on the campus in an aprrtment house built for physicians who must be close to the Clinical center. Thus if an idea strikes him at home, he can be in the laboratory in a few minutes to try it out. He showed me around his laboratory and near&y instrument rooms. Electronics baffle me, and f could respond only to a very simple device in the hall, a large heavy thermos jug containing liquid nitrogen in which tubes containing eneymes are suspended. At such low temperatures the activity of enzymes is preserved for months. Dr. Nirenberg was not always destined for biochemistry. He graduated from the University of Florida in 1948 not knowing what he wanted to do. He tried more than one occupation and in 1952 took a Master's degree in entomology, also at the University of Florida. His dissertation was on the Trichoptera of Alachua County, aquatic insects of no econoenic importance. De had taken a minor in biochemistry and decided to work for a Ph.D in that subject at the University of Michigan under 3ames P, Hogg, He took his Doctorchl degree in 1957. Bfnce then he has worked at NIH, first on postdoctoral fellowships, then as a member of the staff. The attention he has received lately must be somewhat distracting and he must be reluctant to give up his vrluable time to instruct poorly prep&red people like me in the purpose, methodology, and significance of his work. Yet he is doing so patiently and cheerfully. We hope that he may have the satisfaction of solving many of the problems now in his mind and will enjoy b&h the regard of his colleaguee and public recog- nition of his achievementa.