Maps Reveal Bacteria in Transit

Satellites, aerial photography, and computerized geographic imaging systems have enabled us to map the Earth with unprecedented accuracy. Planes now feature screens that let passengers monitor the flight's path, while real-time websites map highway traffic flow with stunning precision. But when it comes to mapping another travel pattern—that of bacteria within the human body—scientists have only a vague idea of what is going on.

Now researchers at the U.K.'s University of Cambridge are pioneering a new way to track the spread of bacteria within the body, integrating mathematical models with observational data to both predict and trace pathogenic movement.

Duncan Maskell and Pietro Mastroeni, both Cambridge immunologists, describe their work using Salmonella bacteria and mice in the October issue of the open access journal Public Library of Science Biology.