Bacteriophage is a bacteria eater. They are viruses that infects bacteria. In fact, the word "bacteriophage" literally means "bacteria eater", because bacteriophages destroy their host cells.
In layman's terms, bacteriophage attaches itself to a bacteria and infects the host cell. Following infection, the bacteriophage hijacks the bacteria from 'producing' further bacteria. New bacteriophages will replicate and assemble inside the bacteria and it will cause the bacteria to burst, effectively destroying the bacteria.
Interestingly, bacteriophages are found wherever bacteria exist. One of the densest natural sources for bacteriophages is seawater.
As superbugs are becoming immune to a lot of antibiotics, bacteriophage therapy could be the cure to address the advancement of new superbugs.
Only downside is that bacteriophages does not infect any bacteria. They are picky about the bacteria. Doctors needs to take a swab of the patient’s bacteria, nurture it in a dish, and then test which phages are able to kill it off. The doctor needs to make sure that the phages in question will explode a bacterial cell, rather than settling comfortably inside. And then the doctor need to purify it before delivery, so there aren’t any bacterial leftovers that might poison the person instead of saving them.
In the world of cyberspace and with malicious viruses 'floating around', is it possible for software researchers to find a 'cure' similar to bacteriophages with new software that 'eats' malware viruses?
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