VISIT TO BIOLOGICAL U.SrARCIT LA130RATOqTVq J11C..
BOSTON. 14nas.
A~AA` 30th. 1q53.
Dr. Bentley and 11r. Coulson made the main visit
to this
laboratory. 11x. Reid and the writer only visited
during the evening
to attend a seminar on cancer chemotherapy
organised by Dr. Freddie
Homburor, the Director of the Laboratories. The
seminar was also
atterded by Dr. Charles Kensler of A.D. Little
Inc. and Boston
University, and by medical workers and students
from Harvard and certain
of the Boston Medical Schools.
The theme of the seminar was the misuse of public
money in
a wholev~le, ad-boc survey of possible
chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer
nnd the need for a rati-!nal rprrovch vin
biochemical. irvestigation.
As :7uch, it had no relevance to thz mission from
the T.t'.S.C.
!*owover, It efforded in impression of Homburger
and of the
facilities of the laboratories which are available
for biological work,
under contrnet.
TTomburger is a largn, vigorous tnd voluble m-.n
with the ability
to sketch the outlines of a -rabject rapidly
without bning confused by
detail. Ile worked, at one time, at the Roscoe B.
Jackson Institute
end is Adly appreciative or the need for pure
strain animals for any
qusntitetiva biological testing rrocedure. Fe then
taught at Tuftlis
Medical College for some years and hns now
forsaken academic work for
corr.ercinl bioloCicil consultant studies. The
Biologic-ra Research
Leboratories Inc. is a commercial undertaking
which he hns set up and
which seems to b o inextricably tangled wit1h
Biological Research
C:D
Foundation, n ron-prolrit ro-sonrch orrnnisation
finemced by grants for the
C.C.)
C=)
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purpose of bioresearch into cancer problems.
The 1:6roretories, which opened a few months ago
only, are
situnted In the up1mr floor or a auhstnntial
concrete building which
wis once r. boat-bullders yard. err-1 offices. It
comprises a suits of
ad;aIniatrative offices, a nwmber of lbboratories
and three animal rooms.
The laborstoric3 are equipped for pathology,
histoloL7, immunology and
biochemistry. ~rparatus ii!cludod a Zeckmann DU
ultra-violet
sy-ectrophatometer, a HistokineLte cutomatic
machine for section
prorn--otion und stplnii!gs clectrophorenis
apparatus for innunological
studie,i vtrd protein sel.,sratiors, m1croccopes
and ancillary apparatus such
as vncuum pumps, balances and nutomatic glacaware
washine and drying
ncellines. flefrigereted storrgo cnbinets, a
doop-freezo cheat and a re-
frit;nrnbed centri-fuGe Pre r1ro available.
Ingeniouc us-: has been mede
of stnrdprd kitch-cm unit Dirniture in laboratory
construction. The
individunl laborntorico are air-conditioned by
menns of wirdow units.
The Rnimal rooms nro not directly air-conditioned
and have no
windovs. They Pro formed by breeze block
conatruction clonG one side
of tho corridor uhich divides the upper floor. The
rooms are fitted
with extractor fans end the doors have louvre
operings to permit the
inCrres3 of conditioncd eir fron the lrbor2tories.
No auxiliary henting
is provided. Tlin systom is otntcd to maintain rn
ideal nnd nearly
tc---ir-ar,,t-.,ri in the nnll3al roono.
T!,cs,? room- were spotlenf,-I~r clann and well
kept. Interior
di,!C-!310?':' ~Mrc 11. ft. by 1:1 ft. ArImals
were housed
in not.-l I)o;- c-;nc In rac!:s in Uv~ usual
fnohion, wiLh a passage round
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all sides. flo criges were p1reed on the floor,
which was of concreto.
The -rinqls, hoits-d undcr these conditions,
seemed beslt)7, although
the opportunity to Inspect Vien was slight.
The stnff consints or A laast two others besides
Romburger,
not accountin,, for technicinn3. There is
laboratory spnee for, perhaps,
six or ei.,lif. ociontists - but ns ro-one w,-s
working at the time of
Ue vinit, thic is only rn Liprercion gainei
fleetingly.
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BATCo document for Province of BritiSh Columbia 2
November 1999