What bacteria don't know can hurt them
Thursday, November 17, 2011 - 19:30
in Health & Medicine
Bacteria enter a self-protective mode when they sense nutrients are low. Starving bacteria resist killing by nearly every antibiotic, even ones they have never been exposed to before. By keeping bacteria that have congregated into a biofilm from warning each other of nutrient shortages, scientists increased the infection-fighting effectiveness of currently available antibiotics.