Researchers harness bacteria-eating viruses to create powerful food decontamination spray mcmastereng NatureComms
They have developed a way to coax bacteriophages—harmless viruses that eat bacteria—into linking together and forming microscopic beads. Those beads can safely be applied toand other materials to rid them of harmful pathogens such as E. coli 0157. Each bead is about 20 microns, in diameter and is loaded with millions of phages.
The researchers' sprayable new super-disinfectant is food-safe and highly effective, as they describe in an article published today in the influential journal"When we spray it on food, we basically gather billions of mini-soldiers to protect our food from bacterial contamination," says Tian, who led the study as part of his Ph.D. research.
"They link together like microscopic Lego pieces," she says."This organized natural structure makes them much more durable and easier to package, store and use." When phages—which occur naturally in the body and in the environment—contact target bacteria, they multiply, explosively increasing their antimicrobial power as they work.
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