A comprehensive review of Soviet microbial genetics during the period 1940-1958, but especially for the years 1950 through 1957, has been based on 297 translated abstracts and 284 full articles. One full paper and 57 abstracts in this total came from the scientific literature of the People's Democracies; the remainder were from the USSR. In addition, 456 titles or brief indicative abstracts were examined. The items covered were grouped into twelve major areas of subject matter, in some of which there was evidence of extensive work, in others of very little. The retarding influence of Lysenko and his group upon the development of genetics, and the almost equally restrictive influence of Lepeshinskaya's doctrine of the origin of cells from non-living matter, were widely evident. Work on Mutation, Adaptation, and Variation was scanty and inferior; but in the area of the Chemistry of Inheritance increased activity and interest are apparent. Drug Resistance and Antibiosis, because of practical outcomes, was an...