Research papers must make a significant and original contribution to microbiology and be of interest to a broad readership. The results of any experimental approach that meets these objectives are welcome, particularly biochemical, molecular genetic, physiological, and/or physical investigations into microbial cells and their interactions with their environments, including their eukaryotic hosts. Mini-reviews in areas of special topical interest and papers on medical microbiology, ecology and systematics, including description of novel taxa, are also published. Theoretical papers and those that report on the analysis or ''mining'' of data are acceptable in principle if new information, interpretations, or hypotheses emerge.