HU Researchers Uncover Elusive Bacterial State, Possibly Leading to Life-Saving New Treatments

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered a “disrupted” state in some bacteria that causes them to behave differently from other bacteria. Better weapons against bacterial diseases — some of which can be deadly — may eventually result from the new finding. This is especially important because bacteria are become increasingly resistant to our current antibiotics.
 
Quote: “Antibiotics can either kill or push bacteria to a near-death state before their final elimination,” said the lead researcher Prof. Nathalie Q. Balaban, who worked with PhD student Yoav Kaplan. “Under this life-threatening stress, bacteria enter a ‘disrupted’ state when they function very differently from normal bacteria,” the [press] release added.
 
Sources: The Jerusalem Post (introduction and quotation)
 
Read about antibiotic resistance from the World Health Organization. ►
 
Read “Israeli researchers discover bacterial state that may lead to new drugs” ►
 
Photo: Australian Museum
 
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