Genome sequencing of Listeria monocytogenes

Genome sequencing is a key technology in microbiology. A genome sequence is the prerequisite for understanding the molecular basis of a given phenotype; this is of particular importance for pathogens. Particularly for the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, which is an important model organism in infection biology, genome sequencing has proven to be invaluable in advancing our understanding of its virulence mechanisms and epidemiology. In this chapter, current technologies and software tools for genome sequencing and genome analysis of L. monocytogenes are described.