Researchers say the virus can destroy bacterial membranes.
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National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and UCL researchers refined the virus, which attacks bacterial cells by destroying their membranes.
This means bacteria has a smaller chance of becoming resistant to it.
Research in antibacterial resistance has been lacking recently, with more than 700,000 dying globally from drug-resistant infections every year.
Traditional research methods in this area have been largely exhausted.
Alex Yon, PhD student at UCL and co-author of the study, said that the virus does not need to work precisely within each bacterial cell, which gives it an advantage over traditional antibiotics.
NPL’s Dr Max Ryadnov said, “This discovery adds to the growing toolbox…of synthetic biology for industry and healthcare.”
He added that the developments in treating infectious diseases in “urgently needed”.
Professor Bart Hoogenboom, at UCL, expressed excitement at the potential to treat such diseases with greater effectiveness.
This comes as more and more pharmaceutical companies are closing down their research divisions in this area.
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HeadlineResearchers develop synthetic ‘virus’ to fight antibiotic resistant bacteria
Short HeadlineNew ‘virus’ kills bacteria on first contact
Standfirst
National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and UCL researchers refined the virus, which attacks bacterial cells by destroying their membranes.
This means bacteria has a smaller chance of becoming resistant to it.
Research in antibacterial resistance has been lacking recently, with more than 700,000 dying globally from drug-resistant infections every year.
Traditional research methods in this area have been largely exhausted.
Alex Yon, PhD student at UCL and co-author of the study, said that the virus does not need to work precisely within each bacterial cell, which gives it an advantage over traditional antibiotics.
NPL’s Dr Max Ryadnov said, “This discovery adds to the growing toolbox…of synthetic biology for industry and healthcare.”
He added that the developments in treating infectious diseases in “urgently needed”.
Professor Bart Hoogenboom, at UCL, expressed excitement at the potential to treat such diseases with greater effectiveness.
This comes as more and more pharmaceutical companies are closing down their research divisions in this area.
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