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IPFS News Link • Science, Medicine and Technology

Bacteria 'Fight Club' Could Help Find New Cures For Diseases

• http://www.popsci.com, By Alexandra Ossola

Humans could never have figured out how to get rid of potentially harmful bacteria without harnessing the bacteria themselves; when bacteria are under fire, they can create a special biological agent designed to eliminate their attackers. Now researchers from Vanderbilt University have figured out a way to pit certain types of bacteria against one another. The chemicals that result could be used to develop new antibiotics and treatments, according to a study published recently in ACS Chemical Biology.

Like in any other organism, a bacteria's DNA contains the blueprints for the organism's development and reproduction. But bacterial DNA also contains the code for chemicals called secondary metabolites, chemicals not directly related to the organism's growth but still necessary for its preservation and longevity.


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