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To test the ability of bacteria and other microbes to

July 25, 2018 by Devin Jones

To test the ability of bacteria and other microbes to produce DNA-intercalating agents, scientists used PCR. The scientists used a technique called high-throughput sequencing to test whether the DNA-intercalating agents used in the study were making cells grow. DNA-intercalating agents have been used in research and medical settings since the 1960s. They are now used in medical laboratories to test the effectiveness of vaccines and to reduce infections. (A study has shown that they prevent infections.)

Scientists used a technique called a "genetic scissors" to cut the DNA-intercalating agents in a lab. It is possible that at least some of these agents may prevent bacterial infection, but it's not clear what those agents are. The scientists were able to identify five specific molecules that could be used as anti-phage agents. They found that the ones that were designed to fight bacteria did not make enough to inhibit growth of phages.

The researchers have also shown that the DNA-intercalating agents are effective in blocking bacteria from growing too quickly in small amounts in a small intestine. (Some of the more recent tests of this technique are still in development.)

While a lot of the work on phage-free bacteria is still ongoing, a few researchers are starting to look at how their research could develop into an effective therapy for E. coli. The researchers found that a simple protein called a DAT1, which binds to a protein called a CRISPR-Cas, inhibits bacteria from growing too slowly in a small intestine.

This protein, known as a "delta-4" or CRISPR-Cas-4, seems to work well in certain cell types. The researchers found that the CRISPR-Cas, a member of a family known as the "molecular scissors" that works like a "delta" in bacteria, blocked the growth of E. coli by inhibiting the growth of phages.

Because the enzymes that make up E. coli, called "proteinases," are part of the mechanism that regulates growth, the CRISPR-Cas-4 inhibitor could be used to treat bacteria that don't grow very quickly.