60-Year Microbiology Mystery Solved
A remarkable study led by Prof. Ehud Banin and his team has just been published in Nature Microbiology.
The team discovered that Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common pathogen, can temporarily shut down its own defense enzymes when grown at higher temperatures. Normally, these enzymes cut up viral DNA, but under stress, they risk turning against the bacterium’s own genome. To prevent self-harm, the bacteria use proteases that selectively break down the dangerous proteins. What’s striking is that this “pause” in defense persists for around 60 generations, giving the cells a kind of long-term memory.
Why does this matter? Beyond solving a 60-year-old microbiology puzzle, the work points to fresh ways of weakening harmful bacteria by manipulating their defenses. This could be a valuable tool in the fight against antibiotic resistance and in shaping the use of phage therapy. It also sheds light on how life adapts and protects itself under stress, with lessons that could extend far beyond medicine
Kudos to Prof. Ehud Banin, Esther Shmidov, and the whole team for shedding light on such an elegant survival strategy.
