Includes: Possible Mathematical Relation between Deoxyribonucleic Acid and Proteins. 13 pp. Printed wrappers, stapled. Copenhagen: Ejnar Munksgaard, 1954. * Possible Relation between Deoxyribonucleic Acid and Protein Structures. Single sheet, printed on both sides. St. Albans: Fisher, Knight & Co., 1954. Together, 2 items.

Important papers by the Russian-born theoretical physicist and cosmologist who defected to the United States in 1934, and in later years turned efforts to DNA. After the discovery of the structure of DNA in 1953 by Francis Crick and James Watson, Gamow attempted to solve the problem of how the order of the four different kinds of bases (adenine, cytosine, thymine and guanine) in DNA chains could control the synthesis of proteins from amino acids. Crick has said that Gamow's suggestions helped him in his own thinking about the problem. The first is quite possibly a presentation copy, with "Geo → Jack" written in ink at top left of front wrapper (along with rubberstamped number 342).