Malaria: Fatal attraction | PDF (314 KB)

p655 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1737

Bacterial pathogenesis: Exit this way! | PDF (409 KB)

p656 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1731

Bacterial physiology: Chilling out away from the crowds | PDF (269 KB)

p656 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1736

Bacterial pathogenesis: Two steps further forward for Listeria | PDF (123 KB)

p657 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1732

Microbial ecology: Baby boom | PDF (122 KB)

p658 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1734

Viral Immune Evasion: Evasive manoeuvres | PDF (138 KB)

p658 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1735

Fungal development: Differential regulation of septation | PDF (233 KB)

p659 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1733

Campylobacter jejuni: molecular biology and pathogenesis

Kathryn T. Young, Lindsay M. Davis & Victor J. DiRita

p665 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1718

Although Campylobacter jejuni is a common foodborne bacterial pathogen, we know less about its biology and pathogenicity than we do about other less prevalent pathogens. Here, we examine the biological factors of C. jejuni that contribute to colonization and disease in humans and chickens.

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Beyond toothpicks: new methods for isolating mutant bacteria

A. James Link, Ki Jun Jeong & George Georgiou

p680 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1715

Generations of microbiologists have relied on traditional genetic screening techniques to isolate mutants. Nowadays, advances in high-throughput technologies mean that fluorescent assays can be exploited for the rapid isolation of mutants with complex phenotypes. These single-cell techniques, which include flow cytometry and microfluidic applications, and their uses in microbiology, are discussed in this Review.

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Visualization, modelling and prediction in soil microbiology

Anthony G. O'Donnell, Iain M. Young, Steven P. Rushton, Mark D. Shirley & John W. Crawford

p689 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1714

Soils are highly complex and challenging environments to study. In this Review, Tony O'Donnell and colleagues call for the development of soil microbiology into a systems science. Imaging and modelling techniques are reviewed that together should enable microbial ecologists to examine the implications of spatio–temporal heterogeneity for the dynamics of microbial communities and their physical environments.

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Modelling an outbreak of an emerging pathogen

Emily Kajita, Justin T. Okano, Erin N. Bodine, Scott P. Layne & Sally Blower

p700 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1660

Mathematical models of infectious disease dynamics are valuable tools for understanding the dynamics of outbreaks and designing effective interventions. Focusing on community-acquired meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as a case study, the authors explain how to construct and apply a simple transmission model of an emerging pathogen.

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Ribbon–helix–helix transcription factors: variations on a theme

Eric R. Schreiter & Catherine L. Drennan

p710 | doi:10.1038/nrmicro1717

Despite sharing common features with the helix–turn–helix family of transcription factors, ribbon–helix–helix proteins recognize different operator sequences, bind to both symmetric and asymmetric DNA sites, bend DNA by varying amounts and make unique protein–protein interactions to stabilize their complexes with DNA.

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