Abstract
Amelia E. Barber works in the field of fungal genomics and pathogenesis. In this mSphere of Influence article, she reflects on how the paper "Strain heterogeneity in a non-pathogenic Aspergillus fungus highlights factors associated with virulence" from the group of Antonis Rokas changed her view on the binary characterization of microbes as pathogens or non-pathogens. The work highlights the overlapping virulence traits shared between the two groups and encourages the use of a population-based framework. To understand the full spectrum of microbial pathogenic potential, virulence phenotypes are characterized across a strain population of isolates from "pathogenic" species and closely related "non-pathogens," in this case revealing a continuum rather than a clear distinction.