title: Bacteria as control engineers.
abstract: Bacteria encounter fluctuations in both their external and internal environments, and to manage these conditions, they employ various control mechanisms. In this issue of Molecular Cell, Hart et al. (2011) investigate how E. coli robustly controls nitrogen assimilation.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Center for BioDynamics, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Kyle R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Collins