Tim Barraclough

Jul 18, 2024 | theconversation.com | Chris Wilson |Reuben W Nowell |Tim Barraclough

A little-known group of microscopic animals has spent millions of years copying recipes for antibiotics from bacteria and using them to fight infections, we have shown in a new paper. We think this unusual defensive strategy could offer short-cuts in the race to develop antimicrobial treatments. More than 1.2 million people worldwide are killed by drug-resistant bacteria each year. Antibiotics are used to treat serious bacterial infections.