title: Use of microcosms to study genetic interactions between microorganisms.
abstract: Microcosms are used regularly in the study of the toxicity of environmental chemicals and their biodegradation. The use of these systems to study genetic interactions and adaptation mechanisms in soil and aquatic microorganisms is discussed, and their application to studies on the fate of genetically engineered organisms and their genes in the natural environment is outlined.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Trevors
mesh_terms: D003227:Conjugation, Genetic; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D005827:Genetics, Microbial; D009586:Nitrogen Fixation; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004269:DNA, Bacterial