Abstract— Damage caused by visible light in the presence of acriflavine can be repaired in various strains of Escherichia coli possessing one or the other repair mechanism. The number of viable cells of the irradiated E. coli cultures increases on holding in buffer. The results of liquid holding suggest that the major role played by holding in liquid medium is the removal of dye molecules from inside the cells; this would create a favourable condition for recovery during subsequent incubation. Copyright © 1982, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved