This supplement contains the majority of the papers presented at the SfAM Symposium on Campylobacter, Helicobacter and Arcobacter held at the Universty of Strathclyde in July 2000. The aim of the conference was to address aspects of both the whole organism and the more compartmentalised molecular aspects. Molecular methods are continuing to make a significant contribution to the understanding of the fundamental aspects of each of the three bacterial genera investigated, and this is fully reflected in the contents of this volume.