A. phagocytophilum obtains cholesterol exclusively by hijacking the Niemann–Pick type C protein 1 (NPC1) pathway that mediates lysosomal cholesterol efflux (Xiong et al, 2009; Xiong & Rikihisa, 2012), which makes it an ideal organism for evaluating the efficacy of FIASMAs for inhibiting infection by an LDL cholesterol–dependent pathogen. The gene discussed is NPC1; the disease is infection.