Genomics of Thermophilic Campylobacter Species

The thermophilic Campylobacter species C. jejuni and C. coli are important human pathogens, which are major causes of bacterial gastroenteritis. The recent progress in genomics techniques has allowed for a rapid increase in our knowledge of the molecular biology of Campylobacter species, but needs to be matched by concurrent increases in our understanding of the unique biology of these organisms. Campylobacter species display significant levels of genomic variation via natural transformation, phase variation, plasmid transfer and infection with bacteriophages, and this poses a continuous challenge for studies on pathogenesis, physiology, epidemiology and evolution of Campylobacter. In this chapter we will review the current state of the art of the genomics of thermophilic Campylobacter species, and opportunities where genomics can further contribute to our understanding of the biology of these successful human pathogens.