Captures the wealth of information on plasmid structure, function, and biology in a single volume. * Delivers the latest impacts of plasmid study upon the areas of bacterial pathogenesis, evolution, genome analysis, chromosome dynamics, and eukaryotic cell biology. * Includes a historical perspective of the study of plasmids, reviewing important events and discoveries that have propelled the field forward. * Details basic biological processes such as replication and inheritance functions, specific plasmid systems, plasmid evolution, and use of plasmids as genetic tools. * Covers use of genomic approaches for the study of plasmid biology, and presents a review of plasmids from bacteria, archaea, and eukaryotes. * Provides comprehensive information on the diversity of plasmid systems in the natural environment, and the development of plasmid use in laboratoratories. This title is published by the American Society for Microbiology Press and distributed by Taylor and Francis in rest of world territories.