Bdellovibrio, the cannibalistic drug coming to humanity’s rescue
"Ferocious predators that consume almost all of their prey" are used for good.
But Bdellovibrio is parasitic; it reproduces by attacking other bacteria. “It can only finish its life cycle by preying on other bacteria,” says Daniel Kadouri, an associate professor in the Center for Oral Infectious Diseases at Rutgers University. First, the bacterium attaches to the outside of a bacterial cell and drills a hole through the outer membrane. It then enters the cell and begins dissolving and consuming the host cell’s proteins and nucleic acids. “It sits between the inner and outer membranes and starts secreting enzymes that will basically break down the prey from the inside,” Kadouri told Ars. Finally, after feeding on its prey, dividing, and producing multiple progeny, the bacteria burst out of the host cell, tearing it apart in the process.
(via Bdellovibrio, the cannibalistic drug coming to humanity’s rescue | Ars Technica UK)
