Last fall, envelopes full of anthrax-causing spores killed 5 people, sickened about a dozen, and struck fear in millions. Researchers funded by the U.S. military have now developed an innovative way to detect and kill Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax. Seeking help from nature, the researchers are using an enzyme produced by a bacteriophage, a virus that preys upon bacteria.
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