A virus that kills sleepers
ETH Zurich researchers have found a virus that kills dormant bacteria. This rare discovery could help to combat germs that can’t be treated with antibiotics alone.
In brief
- For the first time, ETH Zurich researchers have isolated a bacteriophage from rotting plant material that can attack and kill bacteria in a dormant state.
- How the phage manages this is still unclear.
- Combination therapy with this phage and an antibiotic eradicates many dormant germs in pure culture and in the mouse model.