Cutting-Edge Phage Research Promises New Solutions for Old Pathogens

New research details long-sought mechanisms and structures.
Bacterial infections present major hurdles in both agriculture and healthcare, particularly with the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research are investigating how viruses that infect bacteria neutralize these harmful pathogens, opening the door to innovative treatment approaches.

In their recent study published in Science, Lanying Zeng, Ph.D., a professor, and Junjie Zhang, Ph.D., an associate professor, both in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, detailed a precise mechanism by which phages disable bacteria.