From the Preface
Antibody techniques have allowed us to study microorganisms in situ. However, until recently all methodology lacked the sensitivity necessary for environmental work where microorganisms are in most cases present at very low concentrations or where microbial ecosystems contain a myriad of different organisms. Gene probes have been used successfully for a variety of samples, but this method was still not sensitive enough. The next logical step was the application of the recently developed DNA amplification technique known as the polymerase chain reaction, or PCR. Since then,...