A decades-old mystery of how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria are able to recognize and kill other bacteria may have been solved, according to new research.
In a study published in Nature Microbiology, researchers from the University of Birmingham and the University of Nottingham have discovered how natural antimicrobial predatory bacteria, called Bdellovibrio bacterivorous, produce fiber-like proteins on their surface to ensnare prey.
This discovery may enable scientists to use these predators to target and kill problematic bacteria that cause issues in healthcare, food spoilage, and the environment.
Professor of Structural Biology at the DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01552-2
The research was funded by the Wellcome Trust Investigator in Science Award (209437/Z/17/Z).