New research moves closer to harnessing viruses to fight bacteria and reduce antibiotic use

A new study has cast new light on how to best combine antibiotics and phage therapy. Researchers conducted laboratory experiments on Pseudomonas aeruginosa a bacterium which causes disease in immunocompromised and cystic fibrosis patients. They exposed the bacterium to eight types of antibiotics -- and found differences in the mechanisms by which the bacteria evolve resistance to phages, which affect how harmful they are.