partnership. Just as this new facility symbolizes the vigor of the ATCC, so this conference symbolizes the communal interest that must be accorded the preservation and distribution of microorganisms and other cell lines. The ATCC and other repositories are not simply means to facilitate the sharing of cells of contemporary interest. These facilities allow passage of the germ plasm between generations of scientists and are thus an indispensible part of the wick that sustains the flame of scientific inquiry. This conference is as timely as it is important. As the tidal wave of the "new biology" continues its inexorable course, scientists and administrators alike are finding that business as usual is not among their options. There are at least five reasons for this: