ScienceDaily
Your source for the latest research news
Follow Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Subscribe RSS Feeds Newsletters
New:
  • 3D Printing Metal-Plastic Composite Structures
  • 2,000-Year-Old Shipwreck: Complex Trade
  • Mammoth Problem With Extinction Timeline
  • Landslide Risk Remains Long After a Quake
  • Physicists Observe Wormhole Dynamics
  • New Method of Spinal Cord Tissue Repair
  • How Giant-Faced Owls Snag Voles Hidden in Snow
  • 'Unrecyclable' Plastic Can Now Be Recycled
  • Fossil Upends Views On Origin of Modern Birds
  • Mysteriously Bright Flash Pointing Toward Earth
advertisement
Follow all of ScienceDaily's latest research news and top science headlines!
Science News
from research organizations

1

2

Virus Enzymes Could Promote Human, Animal Health

Date:
August 31, 2009
Source:
USDA/Agricultural Research Service
Summary:
Could viruses be good for you? Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have shown that enzymes from bacteria-infecting viruses known as phages could have beneficial applications for human and animal health.
Share:
FULL STORY

Could viruses be good for you? Scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) have shown that enzymes from bacteria-infecting viruses known as phages could have beneficial applications for human and animal health.

advertisement

Phage enzymes called endolysins attack bacteria by breaking down their cell walls. Unlike antibiotics, which tend to have a broad range, endolysins are comparatively specific, targeting unique bonds in the cell walls of their hosts. This is significant because it means non-target bacteria could be less likely to develop resistance to endolysins.

Researchers at the ARS Animal Biosciences and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., in collaboration with federal, university and industry scientists, have developed and are patenting technology to create powerful antimicrobials by fusing genetic material from multiple cell-wall-degrading endolysins. Now the researchers are collaborating with biopharmaceutical companies to evaluate and further develop the technology.

Studies led by ARS biologist David M. Donovan show that phage enzymes could be used to wipe out multi-drug-resistant pathogens that affect both animals and humans, such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA.

The scientists showed that the enzymes can knock out pathogens in biofilms, which are matrices of microorganisms that can attach to a variety of surfaces. Biofilms are resistant to antibiotics and contribute to many human infections.

In a related study, the scientists showed that using the endolysins lysostaphin and LysK in concert inhibited the growth of staphylococcal strains that cause mastitis in cattle and staph infections in humans.

This research was published recently in the journal Biotech International.

This work is supported in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. Department of State.

make a difference: sponsored opportunity

Story Source:

Materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Cite This Page:

  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
USDA/Agricultural Research Service. "Virus Enzymes Could Promote Human, Animal Health." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 31 August 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830102451.htm>.
USDA/Agricultural Research Service. (2009, August 31). Virus Enzymes Could Promote Human, Animal Health. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 1, 2022 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830102451.htm
USDA/Agricultural Research Service. "Virus Enzymes Could Promote Human, Animal Health." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090830102451.htm (accessed December 1, 2022).

  • RELATED TOPICS
    • Health & Medicine
      • Pharmacology
      • Infectious Diseases
      • Public Health Education
      • Pharmaceuticals
    • Plants & Animals
      • Microbes and More
      • Bacteria
      • Biology
      • Agriculture and Food
advertisement

  • RELATED TERMS
    • Virus
    • Human parainfluenza viruses
    • Health science
    • Avian flu
    • Microorganism
    • Colostrum
    • Transplant rejection
    • Veterinary medicine
advertisement

  Print   Email   Share

advertisement

1

2

3

4

5
Most Popular
this week

PLANTS & ANIMALS
Put the Kettle On! How Black Tea (and Other Favorites) May Help Your Health Later in Life
525-Million-Year-Old Fossil Defies Textbook Explanation for Brain Evolution
Honey Bee Life Spans Are 50 Percent Shorter Today Than They Were 50 Years Ago
EARTH & CLIMATE
New Catalyst Could Be Key for Hydrogen Economy
Earth Might Be Experiencing 7th Mass Extinction, Not 6th
Limiting Global Warming Now Can Preserve Valuable Freshwater Resource
FOSSILS & RUINS
Oldest Evidence of the Controlled Use of Fire to Cook Food, Researchers Report
Human Evolution Wasn't Just the Sheet Music, but How It Was Played
Ancient Roman Coins Reveal Long-Lost Emperor
advertisement

Strange & Offbeat
 

PLANTS & ANIMALS
Fossil Overturns More Than a Century of Knowledge About the Origin of Modern Birds
Ant Pupae Secrete Fluid as 'Milk' to Nurture Young Larvae
Bats Use Death Metal 'Growls' to Make Social Calls
EARTH & CLIMATE
Fossil Overturns More Than a Century of Knowledge About the Origin of Modern Birds
Ancient Superpredator Got Big by Front-Loading Its Growth in Its Youth
Exploring the Possibility of Extraterrestrial Life Living in Caves
FOSSILS & RUINS
Fossil Overturns More Than a Century of Knowledge About the Origin of Modern Birds
New Quantum Computing Feat Is a Modern Twist on a 150-Year-Old Thought Experiment
Ancient Superpredator Got Big by Front-Loading Its Growth in Its Youth
Explore More
from ScienceDaily

RELATED STORIES

Forgotten Tale of Phage Therapy History Revealed
Mar. 27, 2020 — In the current situation when the fear of virus infections in the public is common, it is good to remember that some viruses can be extremely beneficial for humankind, even save lives. Such viruses, ...
Bacteria-Infecting Viruses Bind Mucosal Surface and Protect from Disease
Nov. 22, 2019 — Bacteriophages, viruses that infect bacteria, have been shown to preferentially bind to mucosal surfaces. This has been suggested to provide an extra level of immunity against bacterial infections. ...
Phage Therapy Treats Patient With Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infection
May 8, 2019 — Scientists have used an experimental therapy that relies on bacteria-infecting viruses collected, in part, through HHMI's SEA-PHAGES program to fight a Mycobacterium infection in a 15-year-old ...
Interactions Between Simple Molecular Mechanisms Give Rise to Complex Infection Dynamics
Jan. 8, 2018 — Bacteria can themselves be infected -- by viruses. Not all viruses are harmful to bacteria and some can even benefit them. Can bacteria tell good and bad viruses apart? Scientists now studied how ...
advertisement


SD
  • SD
    • Home Page
    • Top Science News
    • Latest News
  • Home
    • Home Page
    • Top Science News
    • Latest News
  • Health
    • View all the latest top news in the health sciences,
      or browse the topics below:
      Health & Medicine
      • Allergy
      • Alternative Medicine
      • Birth Control
      • Cancer
      • Diabetes
      • Diseases
      • Heart Disease
      • HIV and AIDS
      • Obesity
      • Stem Cells
      • ... more topics
      Mind & Brain
      • ADD and ADHD
      • Addiction
      • Alzheimer's
      • Autism
      • Depression
      • Headaches
      • Intelligence
      • Psychology
      • Relationships
      • Schizophrenia
      • ... more topics
      Living Well
      • Parenting
      • Pregnancy
      • Sexual Health
      • Skin Care
      • Men's Health
      • Women's Health
      • Nutrition
      • Diet and Weight Loss
      • Fitness
      • Healthy Aging
      • ... more topics
  • Tech
    • View all the latest top news in the physical sciences & technology,
      or browse the topics below:
      Matter & Energy
      • Aviation
      • Chemistry
      • Electronics
      • Fossil Fuels
      • Nanotechnology
      • Physics
      • Quantum Physics
      • Solar Energy
      • Technology
      • Wind Energy
      • ... more topics
      Space & Time
      • Astronomy
      • Black Holes
      • Dark Matter
      • Extrasolar Planets
      • Mars
      • Moon
      • Solar System
      • Space Telescopes
      • Stars
      • Sun
      • ... more topics
      Computers & Math
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Communications
      • Computer Science
      • Hacking
      • Mathematics
      • Quantum Computers
      • Robotics
      • Software
      • Video Games
      • Virtual Reality
      • ... more topics
  • Enviro
    • View all the latest top news in the environmental sciences,
      or browse the topics below:
      Plants & Animals
      • Agriculture and Food
      • Animals
      • Biology
      • Biotechnology
      • Endangered Animals
      • Extinction
      • Genetically Modified
      • Microbes and More
      • New Species
      • Zoology
      • ... more topics
      Earth & Climate
      • Climate
      • Earthquakes
      • Environment
      • Geography
      • Geology
      • Global Warming
      • Hurricanes
      • Ozone Holes
      • Pollution
      • Weather
      • ... more topics
      Fossils & Ruins
      • Ancient Civilizations
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • Dinosaurs
      • Early Humans
      • Early Mammals
      • Evolution
      • Lost Treasures
      • Origin of Life
      • Paleontology
      • ... more topics
  • Society
    • View all the latest top news in the social sciences & education,
      or browse the topics below:
      Science & Society
      • Arts & Culture
      • Consumerism
      • Economics
      • Political Science
      • Privacy Issues
      • Public Health
      • Racial Disparity
      • Religion
      • Sports
      • World Development
      • ... more topics
      Business & Industry
      • Biotechnology & Bioengineering
      • Computers & Internet
      • Energy & Resources
      • Engineering
      • Medical Technology
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Transportation
      • ... more topics
      Education & Learning
      • Animal Learning & Intelligence
      • Creativity
      • Educational Psychology
      • Educational Technology
      • Infant & Preschool Learning
      • Learning Disorders
      • STEM Education
      • ... more topics
  • Quirky
    • Top News
    • Human Quirks
    • Odd Creatures
    • Bizarre Things
    • Weird World
Free Subscriptions

Get the latest science news with ScienceDaily's free email newsletters, updated daily and weekly. Or view hourly updated newsfeeds in your RSS reader:

  • Email Newsletters
  • RSS Feeds
Follow Us

Keep up to date with the latest news from ScienceDaily via social networks:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
Have Feedback?

Tell us what you think of ScienceDaily -- we welcome both positive and negative comments. Have any problems using the site? Questions?

  • Leave Feedback
  • Contact Us
About This Site  |  Staff  |  Reviews  |  Contribute  |  Advertise  |  Privacy Policy  |  Editorial Policy  |  Terms of Use
Copyright 1995-2022 ScienceDaily or by other parties, where indicated. All rights controlled by their respective owners.
Content on this website is for information only. It is not intended to provide medical or other professional advice.
Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily, its staff, its contributors, or its partners.
Financial support for ScienceDaily comes from advertisements and referral programs, where indicated.
— CCPA: Do Not Sell My Information — GDPR: Privacy Settings —