ABSTRACT
The title of this chapter in previous editions of this volume, “Genetic Modification of
Lactic Acid Bacteria,” aptly reflected the level of knowledge about this subject in the
1990s. The recombinant DNA techniques were developed for lactic acid bacteria (LAB)
before a profound knowledge of the genetics of these organisms existed, in contrast to
Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and other microorganisms
that had been subject to intense biochemical and genetic studies for decades before the
advent of genetic engineering.
