title: A problem of persistence: still more  questions than answers?
abstract: The current antibiotic resistance crisis has led to increased pressure to prioritize strategies to tackle the issue, with a strong focus being placed on the development of novel antimicrobials. However, one major obstacle that is often overlooked is persister cells, which are refractory to antibiotic treatment. Tackling persistence is a challenge because these cell types are extremely difficult to study and, consequently, little is known about their physiology and the factors that lead to their emergence. Here, four experts contemplate the main physiological features that define persistence and the implications of persistence for antibiotic treatment regimens, and consider what the study of bacterial persistence has taught us about the heterogeneity of bacterial populations.
authors.affiliation: The Racah Institute of Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel. nathalieqb@phys.huji.ac.il
authors.forename: Nathalie Q
authors.initials: NQ
authors.lastname: Balaban
authors.forename: Kenn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gerdes
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: John D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: McKinney
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects*; D010641:Phenotype; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D013312:Stress, Physiological
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species
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