Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
Prizes for scientific endeavour can inspire researchers and the public alike. Nature Reviews Microbiology investigates which microbiologists were winners in 2008.
Some enteric bacterial pathogens cause abdominal pain and fever that are distinct from acute gastroenteritis. The authors review recent evidence that these 'stealth' pathogens share features that explain why host responses to them resemble those made to viral or parasitic infections.
The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains many protein channels, called porins. These channels mediate the influx of various compounds, including antibiotics. Adaptations that reduce influx contribute to the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance. This Review outlines recent advances in our understanding of the physico-chemical parameters that govern antibiotic translocation through porin channels.
Some cattle excrete moreEscherichia coli O157 than others, and are known as super-shedders. This Review discusses the evidence for super-shedders and the implications of super-shedding for the transmission and epidemiology of E. coliO157 in cattle, human infections and disease control.
Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) was described 50 years ago, and the Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) was discovered in BL tumours soon after. Here, David Thorley-Lawson and Martin Allday examine the historically confusing and intertwined relationship between EBV and BL and discuss recent advances that could finally resolve this confusion.
The vast resource of viral genome sequences has been exploited to carry out a genomic comparison and phylogenetic analysis of the picorna-like superfamily. The authors conclude that the diverse groups of picorna-like viruses probably evolved in a 'Big Bang' that came after the evolution of the main groups of eukaryotes.
The realization that there is structural similarity between viruses that infect all three domains of life has led to calls for additions to the way in which the virosphere is classified. In this Opinion, the vertical β-barrel viral lineage is used as an example to support reclassification of viruses into superlineages.
Affordable, high-throughput sequencing technology has led to a flood of publicly available bacterial genome sequence data, presenting both an opportunity and a challenge for the microbiologist. New computational approaches, such as e-Science and Grid-based technologies, can help to analyse genomic data and address these challenges.
