This book has arisen from the Second European Meeting on Bacterial Genetics and Ecology (Bageco-2) held at the University of Wales, College of Cardiff which we organised on 11-12 April 1989. The meeting was attended by some 60 participants from eight European countries and was made possible by partial financial support from the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) and Imperial Chem ical Industries (UK) Ltd. The meeting was organised to discuss modern developments in the genetics of bacteria in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. It followed on from, and complemented, the first meeting...