Turn 'vampire' bacteria into living antibiotic

US scientists believe that it is possible to use a vampire-like bacterium - "blood-sucking" some other bacteria - to make live antibiotics for many infectious diseases.

The bacterium, called Micavibrio aeruginosavorus , was found to live in wastewater nearly 30 years ago, but has not been extensively studied because it is difficult to cultivate using traditional microbiological techniques.

However, researcher Martin Wu and colleagues at the University of Virginia have decoded its genome and are investigating how it lives, according to Top News.

This bacterium is 'making a living' by searching for prey as some other bacteria and then attaching itself to the victim's cell wall and sucking on the prey of the prey.

Unlike most other bacteria that often absorb nutrients from their surroundings, M. aeruginosavorus can only survive and grow by absorbing nutrients from other bacteria. This action kills its prey and thus makes it a potential powerful agent to destroy the pathogen.

A bacterium that targets Pseudomonas aeruginosavorus , which is the main culprit in serious lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients.

'Pathologists can finally use this bacterium to be toxic, meaning a bacterium that actively hunts and attacks other bacteria that are extremely harmful to humans , ' he said. Wu commented.

'Maybe an antibiotic lives like M. aeruginosavorus, because it specifically targets certain pathogens, is able to reduce our dependence on traditional antibiotics and help reduce resistance. drugs that we are facing , " Wu said.

Research results have been published in BMC Genomics.