Atomic and molecular gas properties of galaxies: constraints on galaxy
formation models

Galaxies form when gas is able to cool, condense and form stars within
dark matter halos.  Over the past 5 years, there have been a number of
efforts aimed at linking the atomic and molecular gas properties of
nearby galaxies to their stellar properties in a systematic way. This
talk will describe the main results obtained by recent surveys carried
out using the Arecibo, IRAM and Westerbork radio telescopes, and what
we have learned about the late stages of galaxy formation as a result.