This second edition of Modern Bacterial Taxonomy has been completely revised and expanded to include detailed coverage of molecular systematics including relevant aspects of nucleic acid sequences, the construction of phylogenetic trees, typing of bacteria by restriction fragment length polymorphisms, DNA hybridization probes and the use of the polymerase chain reaction in bacterial systematics. The more traditional aspects of bacterial systematics have been updated and in all areas the methodology and application of these techniques have been discussed. The authors have also described how current concepts of procaryotic classification and evolution are being changed, often with considerable controversy, by molecular studies. This book should be of interest to senior undergraduates in microbiology and affiliated biological science degrees and to professional applied microbiologists in the food, water and beverage industries.