Lux gene technology – a strategy to optimize biological control of soil-borne diseases

SUMMARY Lux gene technology is based on the transformation of environmental bacteria with genes of the lux operon from the marine bacteria Vibrio fischeri and V. hurveyi. Transformed strains are bioluminescent and thus provide a rapid and very accurate tool for the study of population dynamics, metabolic activity and spatial distribution of specific bacteria in environmental samples. This review summarizes the recent progress in using lux-marked rhizobacteria to optimize biological control methods for soil-borne diseases. Special emphasis has been placed on the advantages and limitations of the new technology.