No one knew SARS was coming. But when it did late in 2002, scientists around the world had some very fast work to do - first, in identifying just what this new disease was, then in figuring out what to do about it.

This is the nature of infectious diseases, whether something as benign as the common cold or as deadly as HIV/AIDS - they change. Out of seemingly nowhere, a new disease will arise. Or an old one, such as tuberculosis, will make a "comeback." Or, through overuse of medications by humans, a disease will become drug-resistant, causing scientists to fight a whole new battle.

The combined forces of U of T and the hospitals affiliated with the university involve the cutting-edge work of hundreds of scientists in this never-ending challenge. In this issue of Edge, we profile seven of them. click to continue