RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Settling down on chitin  Andrea Du Toit p527 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0237-y Two papers provide novel insights into how Vibrio cholerae colonizes chitin, revealing the role of a type IV pilus and filamentation.  PDF  Phospholipid export from the inside out  Andrea Du Toit p528 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0239-9 The results of this study suggest that the Mla pathway may be involved in anterograde phospholipid transport to the bacterial outer membrane.  PDF  Jumping from well to well  Andrea Du Toit p528 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0240-3 This study explores the frequency of cross-contamination between samples in DNA sequence-based microbiome studies.  PDF  An intracellular drug reservoir  Andrea Du Toit p528 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0241-2 This study reports that lipid droplets provide a reservoir for a lipophilic tuberculosis drug and enhance drug efficacy.  PDF  Debunking science deniers  Ursula Hofer pp528 - 529 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0235-0 A new study investigates which strategies are effective to mitigate the effects of science denialism.  PDF  What’s the best bacterial shape?  Ursula Hofer pp528 - 529 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0244-z A supercomputing study determines the optimal cell shape of free-swimming bacteria.  PDF  Causes of severe pneumonia in children  Andrea Du Toit p529 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0245-y The Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) study reports the results of a case–control study to characterize the causes of pneumonia in children without HIV infection from Africa and Asia.  PDF  An effector with nuclease activity  Andrea Du Toit p529 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0246-x This study identifies the first effector of contractile injection systems with nuclease activity that targets eukaryotic organisms.  PDF  Phages ensure their survival  Andrea Du Toit p529 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0247-9 This study reports that transduction of antibiotic resistance genes and lysogeny contribute to the survival of transducing phages and their hosts.  PDF
NEWS & ANALYSIS
Genome gazing in ammonia-oxidizing archaea     Emiley A. Eloe-Fadrosh p531 | doi:10.1038/s41579-019-0248-8 This month’s Genome Watch highlights the unique evolutionary history, metabolic functions, and newly identified viruses and associated mobile genetic elements for the highly abundant and ubiquitous ammonia-oxidizing archaea.  Full Text | PDF