BLACKSBURG, Va., Sept. 16 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:
The mammalian gut microbiome is teeming with a delicate balance of bacteria and the viruses that keep them in check, called bacteriophages, or phages. Each bacterial species usually has its own set of phage partners.
When bad bacteria enter this ecosystem, there are typically no phages present, allowing them to cause mayhem. By the time the host is sick, it is too late for phages; they'll simply reach a balance with the bad bacteria.
But what if the phages in the gut could prepare for the orally ingested pathogen and strike it down as it enters the gut, negating the need for a battle?
Associate Professor and Blackwood Juni...