#genomics #microbiology #biology #bacteriophage #phage #syntheticbiology Scientists created a synthetic genome for a bacterium that made the microbe immune to viral infection. When exposed to a cocktail of bacteriophages, the designer Escherichia coli remained unscathed. An unmodified version of the bacterium quickly died. Many of the fundamental features of life don't necessarily have to be the way they are. Chance plays a major role in evolution, and there are always altern

In the past five years, bacteriophage research has accelerated, with a proliferation of publications, conferences, and pharmaceutical-company investment. This enthusiasm reflects the ever-growing threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and a dearth of new antibiotics available to fight them. #bacteriophage #phage #microbiology #antibiotics #antibioticresistance https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/12/21/when-a-virus-is-the-cure