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EXHIBIT 10.36



June 16, 2000

Mr. James E. Thomas
Woods End Road (2nd House on Right)
New Canaan, CT  06840

Dear James:

We are pleased to offer you a position as an independent Director on
Transkaryotic Therapies, Inc. ("TKT" or the "Company") Board of Directors
effective as of June 15, 2000, upon the following terms and conditions:

1.  TERM. Unless you earlier resign or are removed, you will serve until the
    next annual meeting of the Company's stockholders and until your successor
    is duly elected and qualified.

2.  DIRECTORS' FEES. As compensation for your services, you will receive a
    Director's fee of $1,000 for attendance at each meeting of the Board
    including Annual Meeting, other than telephonic meetings. The Company will
    also reimburse you for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by you in
    the performance of your duties as a Director of the Company upon
    presentation to the Company of an itemized and appropriately documented
    invoice for such expenses.

3.  STOCK. As a result of your election to the Board of Directors at this year's
    annual meeting, the Company has granted you an option to purchase 6,750
    shares of Common Stock at an exercise price per share of $32.688 on June 15,
    2000. The options are granted under the terms and conditions of the 1993
    Directors' Plan. Thereafter, at each subsequent annual meeting, contingent
    upon your continued election, you will receive an annual option grant under
    the 1993 Directors' Plan to purchase 6,750 shares of Common Stock at an
    exercise price per share equal to the fair market value on that date.

4.  CONFIDENTIALITY.

         (a)  You recognize and acknowledge that the Company's trade secrets,
              know-how and proprietary processes as they may exist from time to
              time (including, without limitation, information regarding
              methods, cultures, vectors, plasmids, synthesis techniques,
              nucleic acid sequences, purification techniques and assay
              procedures) as well as the Company's confidential

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              business plans and financial data are valuable, special and unique
              assets of the Company's business, access to and knowledge of which
              are essential to the performance of your duties as a Director of
              the Company. You agree that you will not, while you are serving as
              a Director of the Company or thereafter, in whole or in part,
              disclose such secrets, know-how, processes, business plans or
              financial data to any person, firm, corporation, association or
              other entity for any reason or purpose whatsoever, nor shall you
              make use of any such property for your own purposes or for the
              benefit of any person, firm, corporation or other entity (except
              the Company) under any circumstances while you are serving as a
              Director of the Company or thereafter, provided that these
              restrictions shall not apply to such secrets, know-how and
              processes which you can establish by competent proof:

                   (i)  were known to you, as evidenced by written documents,
                        other than under binder of secrecy, prior to your
                        serving as a Director of the Company;

                   (ii) have passed into the public domain prior to or after
                        their development by or for the Company, other than
                        through acts or omissions attributable to you; or

                   (iii) were subsequently obtained by you, other than under
                        binder of secrecy, from a third party not acquiring the
                        information under an obligation of confidentiality from
                        the disclosing party.

         (b)  Upon your resignation, removal or completion of your term as a
              Director of the Company, you shall promptly turn over to the
              Company all originals and copies of the Company's confidential
              information described in this Section 4 then in your possession or
              under your control.

5.  COVENANTS NOT TO COMPETE.

         (a)  While you serve as a Director of the Company, you shall not engage
              in any business (whether as an officer, director, owner, employee,
              partner, consultant, advisor or other direct or indirect
              participant) engaged in the development of gene activation
              methods, and/or the sale of products or rendering of services
              related to gene activation, and/or to any other activities which
              directly compete with the Company's business activities.

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         (b)  During the period in which this covenant not to compete is in
              effect you also shall not interfere with, disrupt or attempt to
              disrupt the relationship, contractual or otherwise, between the
              Company and any customer, supplier, lessor, lessee, employee,
              consultant, research partner or investor of the Company.

         (c)  It is the desire and intent of the parties that the provisions of
              this Section 5 shall be enforced to the fullest extent permissible
              under the laws and public policies applied in each jurisdiction in
              which enforcement is sought. Accordingly, if any particular
              subsection or portion of this Section 5 shall be deemed amended to
              delete therefrom the portion thus adjudicated to be invalid or
              unenforceable, such deletion shall apply only with respect to the
              operation of this Section in the particular jurisdiction in which
              such adjudication is made.

If you agree to accept this offer, please so indicate by countersigning the
enclosed duplicate of this letter and returning it to me.

                                         Very truly yours,

                                         TRANSKARYOTIC THERAPIES, INC.


                                         By: /s/ RICHARD F SELDEN
                                             --------------------
                                             Richard F Selden
                                             President & Chief Executive Officer


Accepted and agreed to:

/s/ JAMES E. THOMAS
--------------------
James E. Thomas

8/1/00
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