ABSTRACT
The primary tools for locating and using genetic information are se quence databases. These databases have evolved from simple mechanisms for information storage and exchange to data resources that can be an alyzed for insights into biological processes and relationships. The phar maceutical industry actively uses these sequence databases and other bioinformatic resources for identifying product targets. Similar approaches are beginning to be applied to food microbiology. The first stage of this process
can be seen in the number of genomic assays that have been developed in the last few years for the detection and characterization of foodborne pathogens (Hill, 1996).
