12 Perspectives in Microbiology 



microbes in nature under such conditions, and argued 

 convincingly that pure culture studies may reveal char- 

 acteristics that can express themselves only in the absence 

 of potential competitors. The recent discoveries concern- 

 ing microbial variability and genetics also tend to discredit 

 the once almost unlimited confidence in results obtained 

 with pure cultures, because it is becoming increasingly 

 evident that even populations derived from single cell 

 isolates are anything but homogeneous. This discovery 

 may have some disturbing implications, but it should be 

 recognized that the appearance of variants in pure cultures 

 can be used to study the mechanism of competition between 

 different individuals in a clone, and thus may lead to an 

 analysis of the factors that determine the perpetuation of 

 specific properties. This, in turn, would provide important 

 information for investigation in the general field of ecology. 

 It cannot be doubted that in the new Rutgers Institute 

 of Microbiology the search for new antibiotics will be 

 continued. In view of the extensive theoretical and prac- 

 tical background built up by Waksman during the last 

 fifteen years, it may also be confidently expected that im- 

 portant advances will be made. But I hope that there will 

 also be room for some of those who prefer to spend their 

 time and efforts in examining properties of the microbes 

 that have as yet eluded a more penetrating study. This will 

 require probing into manifestations pertaining to regions 

 of complexity which, at present, are but little understood, 

 and may involve many kinds of observations before a sig- 

 nificant pattern begins to emerge. Nevertheless, it is only 

 when all the aspects of microbial behavior can be taken 

 into account that we shall be in a position to think in 

 terms of ''the microbe as a whole." 



