Researchers Induce A Lethal Bacteria To Obliterate Itself From The Inside Out
Researchers at Northwestern University have managed to induce a lethal bacteria to obliterate itself from the inside out. Researchers altered the DNA of a bacteriophage, also known as a “phage,” which is a kind of virus that multiplies and infects bacteria, for use in the new study. The DNA was then inserted into Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), a bacteria that is extremely resistant to drugs and lethal. Once within the bacterium, the DNA evaded the pathogen’s defences and formed virions, which sliced through the cell wall of the bacterium to cause its death. Based on the increasing interest in “phage therapies,” this experimental effort is a significant advancement towards the development of designer viruses as novel therapeutics to eradicate lethal bacteria resistant to antibiotics. It also provides important insights into the functioning of phages, an understudied aspect of biology. The research will appear in the journal Microbiology Spectrum on Wednesday, January 24. ...