The recent formation of the Midwest Gram-Positive Pathogenesis Group has led[unreadable] to the realization that collaborations between researchers studying various Grampositive[unreadable] pathogens could dramatically enhance our research productivity. As a result,[unreadable] the idea to establish the National Gram-Positive Pathogenesis Conference emerged.[unreadable] The participants of this conference will be researchers interested in any aspect of[unreadable] pathogenesis caused by a Gram-positive bacterium. This conference will be held in[unreadable] Omaha Nebraska on October 11-13, 2006. Four keynote speakers will set the tone for[unreadable] the meeting, which for the first conference will be the regulation of virulence factor[unreadable] production. Ultimately, the goal of this conference is to broaden our understanding of[unreadable] Gram-positive pathogenesis through the sharing of ideas and the formation of[unreadable] productive research collaborations among a group of investigators whose studies[unreadable] encompass closely related bacterial pathogens.