Many important interactions between bacterial pathogens and their hosts are highly specific
binding events that involve host or pathogen carbohydrate structures (glycans). Glycan …

Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) causes significant morbidity and mortality in
children and young adults worldwide through epidemic or sporadic meningitis and/or …

Klebsiella pneumoniae is a growing cause of healthcare-associated infections for which
multi-drug resistance is a concern. Its polysaccharide capsule is a major virulence …

As reviewed in this paper, meningococcal disease epidemiology varies substantially by
geographic area and time. The disease can occur as sporadic cases, outbreaks, and large …

The complement system comprises several fluid-phase and membrane-associated proteins.
Under physiological conditions, activation of the fluid-phase components of complement is …

Despite considerable advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis of meningococcal
disease, this infection remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality globally. The role of …

Although renowned as a lethal pathogen, Neisseria meningitidis has adapted to be a
commensal of the human nasopharynx. It shares extensive genetic and antigenic similarities …

The human species is the only natural host of Neisseria meningitidis, an important cause of
bacterial meningitis globally, and, despite its association with devastating diseases, N …

Before childhood vaccination was introduced in the 1950s, pertussis or whooping cough
was a major cause of infant death worldwide. Widespread vaccination of children was …

Background Insertion sequences (IS) are small transposable elements, commonly found in
bacterial genomes. Identifying the location of IS in bacterial genomes can be useful for a …