E. coli: Good, Bad, & Deadly

Abstract

If you followed news headlines in the spring/summer of 2011, you may recognize E. coli as the agent responsible for outbreaks of serious diarrheal illness in Germany. But this is only one small part of the story of E. coli; its relationship to human health and the food we eat is much more complex. Not all E. coli are bad - in fact most are not - and some are even beneficial! In this report the larger story of E. coli is told: its role in human health, in food, and even in our understanding of our own biology.