Microbial Ninjas: Bacteriophages take on antibiotic resistant superbugs (9:15)

One of the key science questions of our time is how to beat bacteria in an age where antibiotics are no longer effective. Much like the "peak oil" crisis, the "peak antibiotic" point has likely transpired. As a society, we are now faced with a future where we need to reconsider they ways in which we are using antibiotics and invest in alternatives to this precious and dwindling resource.

The outlook is both good and bad. The bad news is we can't beat them. Bacteria have evolutionary mechanisms that far outstrip our ability to pace them and they are incredibly numerous. The good news is that beating bacteria is not our only option. Bacteriophages are the most numerous entities on the planet and they are the natural parasites of bacteria. I work with graduate and undergraduate students to discover novel bacteriophages that have the potential to kill bacterial pathogens that have become resistant to antibiotics. In the future these tiny entities might be added to western medicine’s arsenal in the fight against antibiotic resistant super bugs.