Biowarfare: Engineered virus can invade bacterial film

Think of a bacteriophage—a bacteria-attacking virus—as a behind-the-lines saboteur. Scientists have now engineered bacteriophages that can penetrate and dissolve the dense films, such as dental plaque, that some bacterial colonies form. These phages, which produce enzymes that target the so-called biofilms, may offer a new way to circumvent antibiotic resistance in bacteria.