Some Beetles Can Quickly Neutralize Bacteria And Reduce Emergence Of Resistant Bacteria At Same Time

In less than an hour, the immune system of the beetle Tenebrio molitor neutralizes most of the bacteria infecting its hemolymph (the equivalent to blood in vertebrates); this is rendered possible by a cascade of ready-to-use cells and enzymes. The principal function of the antimicrobial peptides produced by the insect immune system is to prevent the resurgence of bacteria resistant to the host's constitutive defenses, which will consequently reduce the emergence of resistant bacteria.

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