Skip to main content

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.

Genomics

Relative pathogenic values

Nature volume 423, pages 23–24 (2003)Cite this article

The bacterium that causes anthrax has several close relatives. Comparison of their genome sequences should provide insight into the biology of these organisms as agents of disease — and of terrorism.

Particular notoriety has been accorded to Bacillus anthracis of late. As the causative agent of anthrax, this bacterium was used in the 2001 postal attacks in the United States1, and it has reportedly been 'weaponized' as a warfare agent on at least one occasion2. On pages 81 and 87 of this issue, Read et al.3 and Ivanova et al.4 bring the power of genomics to bear on efforts to understand this pathogen and its close relatives.

Your institute does not have access to this article

Access options

Buy article

Get time limited or full article access on ReadCube.

$32.00

Buy

All prices are NET prices.

References

  1. Jernigan, D. B. et al. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 8, 1019–1028 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Seelos, C. Nature 398, 187–188 (1999).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Read, T. D. et al. Nature 423, 81–86 (2003).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ivanova, N. et al. Nature 423, 87–91 (2003).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Read, T. D. et al. Science 296, 2028–2033 (2002).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Carlson, C. R. & Kolsto, A.-B Mol. Microbiol. 13, 161–169 (1994).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Keim, P. et al. J. Bacteriol. 179, 818–824 (1997).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Helgason, E. et al. J. Bacteriol. 66, 2627–2630 (2000).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mignot, T. et al. Mol. Microbiol. 42, 1189–1198 (2001).

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Margulis, L. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 95, 1236–1241 (1998).

    ADS  CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, Cambridge, UK

    Julian Parkhill

  2. the Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3US, UK

    Colin Berry

Authors
  1. Julian Parkhill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Colin Berry
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Julian Parkhill or Colin Berry.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Parkhill, J., Berry, C. Relative pathogenic values. Nature 423, 23–24 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/423023a

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/423023a

Further reading

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing