Focusing on three different types of bacteria that contaminate food—E.coli, Salmonella and Listeria—Dr. Brett Finlay illustrates the clever tactics bacteria use to infect our bodies and survive in hostile places. Finlay explains how an understanding of the role of virulence factors—tricks that let pathogens thrive in the human body—in causing disease can lead to potential new therapies for treatment and prevention. From the Series:HHMI’s Understanding Biomedical Research Series