The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes is responsible for severe food-borne infections that affect immunocompromised individuals, new born babies, elderly and pregant women. Mortality due to listeriosis is still close to 30%.

Contamination by this organism leads to food recalls from the market. Listeria is also of veterinary imortance. Strikingly, three decades of molecular, and cellular studies have in addition raised Listeria among the best models in infection biology.