The Board of Editors of Gastroenterology identified 6 topics in basic gastroenterology research in which exciting advancements have been made during the past year. These topics are (1) NOD2 variants in Crohn\'s disease, (2) Heliobacter pylori and CagA and VacA pathogenesis, (3) beta-catenin function in normal colonic epithelia and colon cancer, (4) DNA methylation in colonic cancer, (5) the HCV
replicon, and (6) the use of small interfering RNA in somatic cell genetics. Basic research in gastroenterology has been characterized during the past year by the rapid translation from fundamental research into pathophysiological systems. New technological advances are being applied to difficult areas of gastrointestinal research. Well-defined patient populations are critical to extend the knowledge derived from the human genome to gastrointestinal diseases.