Research in animals and plants is frequently 'departmentalized' and funded according to Kingdoms by granting bodies. The use of transgenes to address biological questions in all Kingdoms led us to propose to the Royal Society that fundamental and strategic studies in animals and plants involving trans genes should be presented in one meeting, rather than, as so often happens, in different scientific societies. The two-day Discussion Meeting held inJuly 1992, and reported here provided insights into how trans genes are being exploited to discover new knowledge in animals and plants. The papers...