The use of transgenic animals expressing the recently-described HBV receptor, sodium taurocholate cotransporting peptide(NTCP/SLC10A1), may be the next step in addressing HBV-mediated transcriptome-wide changes in gene expression that follow direct infection of hepatocytes, although significant hurdles with post-entry species restriction limit the current application of these models. The gene discussed is SLC10A1; the disease is infection.