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Waiting for us after Covid 19 has blown out is a series of far more terrible pandemics. More terrible because there will be several of them. Because their symptoms will be more unpleasant. And because transmission will be harder to stop. Welcome to the war against antibiotic resistant bacteria. Update: we are losing. Regular readers will recall our several posts on rays of light in the gloom (LSS passim). But so far, it ain’t enough.
We need something extra, a game changer, that will give us a completely new way of tackling resistant bacteria, to eke out the precious supply of antibiotics. Writing in the Guardian,* Clement Giradot seems to have it. They are called Bacteriophages-little viruses that eat bacteria. They can be targeted, lab-grown and produced to high standards. Of course they are not the total answer, we will still need antibiotic drugs. But the link gives a real example of clearly-written popular science, and if you have any interest in the world outside your self, then read it for its own sake
if you want to help the world’s first charity designed to tackle the antibiotics crisis, click on this link
#bacteriophages #antibioticresistance #antibioticresearchuk #billandmelindagatesfoundation
Learning, Science and Society 
Yea, my little bacteriophages! Research in Soviet Union started in the 20’s. I became aware of this at least 30 years ago. Here is an interesting abstract which looks at the research and the political / philosophical discourse surrounding the research. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsnr.2019.0035
and there is a link to the pdf of the full article.
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