Bacteriophage - a virus that cures

[Guest IB]

Fact: Every bacteria has its own virus that preys upon it and kills it, without harming the human, animal or bird body that they are both in.

 

Think I got one paragraph on bacteriophages in Biology in my school days back in 1960's. They were being developed instead of antibiotics in USSR at height of Cold War so little chance then of ever being used here in the West, even though they were 'discovered' in France in 1917.

 

Forget about e.g. Salmonella Typhimurium Copenhagen and think about Salmonella Typhimurium phage type DT2 and DT99 and you will realise the significance of phage medicine for our pigeons.

 

First I've seen this programme, well worth a watch.

 

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=8887931967515748990#