Phages – “bacteria eaters” against dangerous infections

In this episode of “InFact”, host Julia Demann talks to Jun. Prof.
Jens Hör about a fascinating tool in the fight against resistant
germs: Phages - viruses that specifically attack bacteria but are
harmless to humans. Phages act like tiny, specialized hunters: They
attach themselves to bacteria, inject their genetic material, and
reprogram the cells so that they only produce phage genetic
material – until they eventually burst and release new phages. In
theory, this is a promising alternative to antibiotics, but in
practice it poses a major challenge. This is because bacteria also
develop their own defense strategies. At the Helmholtz Institute
for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, Jens Hör and
his research group are investigating the role played by RNA phages
in particular, how they differ from DNA phages – and what still
needs to be done before phage therapies can be used nationwide in
Germany.