BACTERIAL GENOMICS

During the last decade, great advances have been made in the study of bacterial genomes which is perhaps better described by the term bacter ial genomics. The application of powerful techniques, such as pulsed-f ield gel electrophoresis of macro-restriction fragments of genomic DNA , has freed the characterisation of the chromosomes of many bacteria f rom the constraints imposed by classical genetic analysis. It is now p ossible to analyse the genome of virtually every microorganism by dire ct molecular methods and to construct detailed physical and gene maps. In this review, the various practical approaches are compared and con trasted, and some of the emerging themes of bacterial genomics, such a s the size, shape, number and organisation of chromosomes are discusse d.