This issue of the Journal of Infection in Developing Countries is a celebration of 50 years of dedicated infectious disease research by Professor Giovanni Fadda. As an internationally renowned microbiologist, Professor Fadda was dedicated to the fight against tuberculosis. Throughout his career, he worked in developing countries establishing laboratories for the identification of mycobacteria. He was one of the first scientists to help JIDC in its initial steps, and he is a key member of the mentoring committee of the journal. On 31 October 2011, Professor Giovanni Fadda, full professor of microbiology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome, retired after 50 years of studies and research in the field of general and clinical microbiology. Professor Fadda was born in Tempio Pausania, Sardinia, Italy, in 1938. He achieved the degree of medical doctor in Parma with distinction in 1963 under the guidance of Professor Antonio Sanna, a pioneer of microbiology in Italy. He then obtained specialties in microbiology (1965) and in Pathology (1967) and since 1971 he has been appointed as professor of microbiology in the Universities of Parma and Sassari. From 1978 to1985 he served as Chief of the Clinical Laboratory of the Regional General Hospital of Sassari. Professor Fadda was subsequently promoted full professor of microbiology at the University of Sassari (1986-1995).