Hungarian born microbiologist Alex Kertesz has developed a commercially valuable strain of bacteria in his laboratory at the University of Jerusalem. When a small French company acquires the rights to the organism a working visit by Alex is part of the deal. In fact the two owners of the company insisted that they needed his expertise to determine the optimum conditions for growing the genetically engineered organism, so it's surprising that when he arrives they're barely civil. Before Alex and lab technician Janine have even begun their project an apparent act of sabotage nearly destroys the whole concern. The problems at Agrogenie obviously are more serious than an epidemic of bad manners, and much more dangerous, especially for Alex. With an international cast of characters and a background ranging from the laboratory on the outskirts of Toulouse to picturesque Carcassonne and a trackless mountainside in the Pyrenees, Alex's problem solving skills are tested in a world far removed from the laboratory.