“Basic Research on Bacteria: The Essential Frontier” summarizes the recommendations from a workshop on basic bacterial research convened by the ASM and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) November 3-4, 2005, to address issues that included, the inadequate number of researchers being trained in basic bacterial physiology and genetics, the importance of these research areas to biotechnology, disease management and biodefense, and the increasing recognition of the role of bacteria in chronic illnesses. The more than 60 participants in the workshop, consisted of representatives from industry, academia, and the federal government.