‘Predatory Bacteria’ Might Be Enlisted In Defense Against Antibiotic Resistance

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September 6th, 2018

It’s a bacteria-eat-bacteria world, scientists say. Bdellovibrio bacteriovorus, shown here in false color, swims around with the aid of its whip-like tail, attacks common germs six times its size, then devours them from the inside out

Here’s a bold idea to fight back against bacteria that can’t be stopped by antibiotics: Go after them with germ-eating microbes. That reasoning lies behind an intriguing line of research that might also be put to use in the event of a germ-warfare attack.

It might seem strange to think of microbe-eating microbes, but “actually they’re found in almost every ecosystem on Earth,” says Brad Ringeisen, deputy director of the Biological Technologies Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

They’re even living inside us, but at levels so low that they aren’t effectively battling back against dangerous germs. DARPA has been funding research to see if these predatory bacteria can be harnessed as our allies.

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