Notebook titled 'Kappa (var. 4) / Lambda (var. 8) / March 1962 / At back Metagon Infections / 1963'
- Reference:GB 237 Coll-1255/5/19
- Dates of Creation:1959-1963
- Language of Material:English
- Physical Description:1 notebook20.5 x 26cm 1 notebook20.5 x 26cm
Scope and Content
Notebook contains notes on antigen isolation and characterisation, phenotypic lag experiments and 'mu' particles dating from 16 July 1959. The back of the notebook contains notes on metagon-infection experiments from February-June 1963.
Also contains some loose leaf notes inserted into the volume.
Administrative / Biographical History
Some of these notes refer to Beale's 'metagon' theory, which postulated that certain genes might liberate in the cytoplasm of Paramecia invisible entities called 'metagons' which control the ability of the cell to permit growth of visible endosymbiotic 'mu' (mate-killer) particles. Beale's key paper about the metagon was published in collaboration with Ian Gibson in 1962. Ultimately, however, it had to be abandoned, because Beale was unable to discover any consistent results from later experiments. 'Kappa' and 'Lambda' refer to certain symbionts of Paramecium.
Subjects