Francis L. Macrina is the Edward Myers Professor of Dentistry and Vice President for Research@Virginia Commonwealth University. He is past editor-in-chief of Plasmid and has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of Bacteriology, Infection and Immunity, and Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. He has served on the ethics practices committees of the American Society for Microbiology and the American Association for Dental Research. Address: Office of Research, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298-0568. E-mail: macrina@vcu.edu