Bacteria use the same tools to resist antibiotics and viruses

The severity of the bacterial antibiotic resistance phenomenon is growing, creating a major public health problem. One possible alternative to antibiotics involves the use of phages, or viruses that infect bacteria. However, a recent study has demonstrated that one of the principal resistance mechanisms used by bacteria against antibiotics is also used against phages. This work highlights the importance of formulating additional strategies to tackle antibiotic resistance and paves the way for developing biotechnological tools. This work is published in Science.

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