A little-known group of microscopic animals has spent millions of years copying recipes for antibiotics from bacteria and using them to fight infections, we have shown in a new paper. We think this unusual defensive strategy could offer short-cuts in the race to develop antimicrobial treatments.
More than 1.2 million people worldwide are killed by drug-resistant bacteria each year. Antibiotics are used to treat serious bacterial infections. Similar drugs called antifungals treat infections caused by yeasts and moulds, which are also on the rise.
