Computer database of the genome (genetic blueprint) of the bacterium Escherichia coli. The genetics of this particular bacterium have undergone intensive research, due in part to its role as the pioneering species in genetic engineering using recombinant DNA techniques. The design on the screen at right represents the entire genome (the DNA base-pair sequence of all the bacterium's genetic material), comprising some 4720 kilobases (kb). 30% of this, amounting to 1450 kb, have been sequenced to date (1991), and some of the genes are labelled around the edge of the circle.