A good example of this need is that our group has recently described what I believe to be one of the most exciting leads yet on the aetiology of Type 1 diabetes. We have shown that infected potatoes and other tuberous vegetables, produce a toxin, bafilomycin that can cause pancreatic beta-cell damage (21). We are now in the process of designing epidemiological studies to look at the potential relationship of outbreaks of Type 1 diabetes with potato growing and consumption. It would be difficult to justify further laboratory studies on this line if the epidemiological data to confirm the association do not exist.