Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and military medical institutions have analyzed 242 Yersinia pestis genomes to unravel the pathogen’s evolutionary dynamics shaped by extensive genomic rearrangements. Their study illuminates genome organization variability tied to adaptability and virulence of the plague-causing bacterium. Integrating long-read and short-read sequencing data, the team unveiled rearrangement patterns that influence pathogenicity, offering fresh perspectives on microbial evolution relevant to infectious disease control.