How It Works: Selection of Ivan's Plasmids. Map., 1982 - 1989

The Mark Ptashne Collection contains two separate correspondence series. The first contains correspondence with Dr. George Klein of the Karolinska Institute, the renowned microbiologist, philosopher, and author. The second series contains correspondence with over one hundred scientists, including Nobel laureates Francis Crick, Sydney Brenner, and Walter Gilbert. This series also contains clippings, photographs, essays, and reports.

The Ptashne-Klein materials cover a wide range of subjects, including philosophical discussions of Nietzsche, human relationships, art, music, science, books, the Holocaust and their shared Jewish roots. Within this collection, Klein also shared with Ptashne correspondence with American neuroscientist and writer Charles M. Fair, David Baltimore, Robert Gallo, Kary Mullis, Benno Muller Hill, and Robin Weis. Subjects of this correspondence include discussions of scientific ethics, research, HIV/AIDs, and the Daniel Carleton Gajdusek controversy. At one point, Klein wished to publish a book of correspondence. In 1998, Ptashne requested copies of his correspondence with Klein that had been placed in the Royal Archives. These are included in this collection.

The scientific correspondence contains discussion of scientific fraud, HIV/AIDs, Ptashne’s books "A Genetic Switch" and "Genes and Signals," and the Lasker award. Additionally, it also contains Ptashne’s political work, such as his testimony at the Cambridge City council hearings on recombinant DNA and the Cultural Congress in 1968 Havana, Cuba. Grant applications and patents related to Interferon are also included.

The collection is ordered into nine series: