Elio Schaechter has a nice piece up on the recent success at growing a pure line of Coxellia pathogens, the cause of Q Fever. I have been told that fewer than 10% of all microbes are able to be grown in cell-free media, so perhaps this will be the start of a new set of methodologies. Doing this means that pathogens and other microbes will be able to be sequenced and studied in vitro.
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I hope MI5 don't have as much trouble finding a new Q.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/apr/18/mi5-recruit-scientific-adviser