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Originally published in Science Express on 9 May 2002
Science 14 June 2002:
Vol. 296. no. 5575, pp. 1976 - 1979
DOI: 10.1126/science.1073125
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Perspectives

Also see the archival list of Science's Compass: Enhanced Perspectives

GENOMICS AND MICROBIOLOGY:
Enhanced: Microbial Forensics--"Cross-Examining Pathogens"

Craig A. Cummings and David A. Relman

An impressive demonstration of DNA polymorphism detection and analysis by genomic comparison of two Bacillus anthracis strains reveals the potential power of microbial forensics (Read et al.). In this Perspective, Cummings and Relman discuss how detecting molecular variations between related microbial strains can be used to infer the origin and transmission route of a microbial strain that has caused an infectious disease outbreak either naturally or through manipulation as a bioweapon.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, and Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305-5124, USA; and VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA. E-mail: relman{at}stanford.edu

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)