Scientists have developed completely synthetic viruses in laboratory conditions to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
AzEdu.az reports, citing foreign media, that researchers from New England Biolabs and Yale University have succeeded in designing viruses based solely on digital DNA data.
In the study published in the journal PNAS, the genome of a bacterium-feeding virus was assembled from 28 synthetic DNA fragments and activated. The new method allows for the customization of viruses and the targeting of various bacterial species.
Considering the possibility that antibiotic resistance could cause 10 million deaths per year by 2050, this new method eliminates the need to store dangerous pathogens in laboratories, offering safer and faster treatment options.
Experts state that this technology will play a significant role in the development of faster, safer, and more effective treatment methods against antibiotic resistance.
