Why do you think your paper is highly cited?

Our study provides a global view of gene expression in response to oxidative stress for an important model organism. There is currently a great interest in the results of global gene expression analyses. In addition, oxidative stress is a subject of extensive research since reactive oxygen species damage all cellular components and are implicated in many diseases.

  Does it describe a new discovery or a new methodology that's useful to others?

The paper mainly describes the application of a new methodology (DNA microarrays).

  What were some of the circumstances that led you to do this research?

The group had been studying the regulation of the E. coli response to oxidative stress for many years and was excited to be able use DNA microarrays to examine the whole genome expression pattern in response to hydrogen peroxide.

  Could you summarize the significance of your paper in layman's terms?

The study provided an overview of the E. coli response to oxidative stress and led to the identification of several new targets of the OxyR transcription factor.

Gisela Storz
Senior Investigator
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH
Bethesda, Maryland, USA