TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOLOGY - Preferred Components: The bacterium is a gram-positive bacteria (preferably of genus Clostridia, especially Clostridium pasteurianum).    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Method: The method (M1) involves the delivery of at least one electrical pulses to the bacterium; the use of methylation to block the activity of a restriction enzyme within the bacterium; the use of a methylase which methylates a cytosine residue within the deoxyribonucleotide sequence 5'-cytosine-guanine-cytosine-guanine-3'; the use of a cell-wall weakening agent; the use of an osmoprotectant agent; use of ethanol; the delivery of electrical pulses to the bacterium; the use of cell-wall weakening agents selected from glycine and DL-threonine; and the use of osmoprotectants selected from sucrose, lactose, mannitol, and sorbitol. The recombinant DNA constructs were introduced into the bacterial cell by a method involving the delivery of the electrical pulses to the bacterium; the bacterial cell by a method involving the use of methylation to block the activity of a restriction enzyme within the bacterium; the bacterial cell by a method involving the use of a methylase which methylates a cytosine residue within the deoxyribonucleotide sequence 5'-cytosine-guanine-cytosine-guanine-3'; into the bacterial cell by a method involving the use of a cell-wall weakening agent; the use of an osmoprotectant agent; use of ethanol; the delivery of the electrical pulses to the bacterium; the use of cell-wall weakening agents selected from glycine and DL-threonine; the use of osmoprotectants selected from sucrose, lactose, mannitol, and sorbitol. Preferred Components: The cell-wall weakening agent is selected from glycine and DL-threonine. The recombinant DNA construct contains an origin of replication selected from pCB102 from Clostridium butyricum, pCD6 from Clostridium difficile, and plM13 from Bacillus subtilis. The recombinant DNA construct contains a DNA sequence which encodes an enzyme that confers resistance to an antibiotic selected from thiamphenicol, clarithromycin, and erythromycin.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The osmoprotectant is selected from sucrose, lactose, sorbitol, and mannitol. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.