Measurement of light output by luminometry was used to estimate quantitatively the cell concentrations of luminescent strains of Escherichia coli in liquid culture and inoculated into soil. Strains were constructed in which luciferase production was autoinducible or constitutive. In the former, light output per cell varied considerably during growth but was constant in constitutive strains. In liquid culture, the lower detection limit was in the order of 10(2) cells ml-1. Sensitivity was reduced by approximately 1 order of magnitude for cells inoculated into soil, when 2 x 10(2) to 6 x 10(3) cells g of soil-1 could be detected. Light output measurements were obtained within 5 min of sampling, and luminometry therefore potentially offers a rapid and sensitive detection technique for genetically engineered microorganisms.