Antibiotic Resistant Bacterium Uses SonarLike Strategy to 'See' Enemies or Prey; Discovery Could Lead to New Treatment for Antibiotic Resistant Infection.

(From AScribe)

BOSTON -- For the first time, scientists have found that bacteria can use a Sonar-like system to spot other cells (either normal body cells or other bacteria) and target them for destruction. Reported in the December 24 issue of Science, this finding explains how some bacteria know when to produce a toxin that makes infection more severe. It may lead to the design of new toxin inhibitors. "Blocking or interfering with a bacterium's 'detection' mechanism, should prevent toxin production and limit the severity of infection," says Michael Gilmore, PhD, lead author of the study, and currently director of research at the Schepens Eye Research Institute and …