Damn bacteria. The wily things keep mutating, developing resistance to antibiotics. The good news: Researchers are developing new approaches, and many can target specific bacterial strains. These strategies could save our skins (and guts and lungs).
Harness viruses
STATUS: Human clinical trials
Bacteria have natural predators called phages—viruses that replicate inside the organisms and burst out to destroy them, Alien-style. One upcoming trial pits phages against bugs in infected burn wounds, while another targets drug-resistant staph.
Mute bacterial genes
STATUS: Animal testing
Scientists can design DNA-like molecules that block specific genes so cells can't translate the code into proteins. No proteins for cell division or membrane-building means bye-bye bacteria.
Militarize harmless bugs
STATUS: Animal testing
Bacteria already attack competing bugs with toxins called bacteriocins; doctors just need to get them to target the right ones. Researchers engineered a strain to deploy these chemicals only when they detect pheromones from a pathogenic bug.
Edit out bad bacteria
STATUS: Proof of concept
A recently discovered gene-editing system called Crispr attacks bacteria by destroying their DNA. It searches out gene sequences unique to drug-resistant strains and then chops up the strands to annihilate the organisms.
