In Brunei (in Southeastern Asia), there lives a species of ants that will literally blow up in dangerous situations. Wouldn’t it be cool if humans could make undesirable things take on this same quality? Not in a Twilight Zone way, but in a good way. Apparently, we can. Well, sort of.
Scientists at University of Rochester Medical Center have found that by altering some of the genes and proteins in Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria can become vulnerable to the acid it produces. It becomes its own worst enemy.
Does Streptococcus mutans sound familiar to you? It’s the primary cause of tooth decay. The scientific finding could be the key to eliminating tooth decay across the globe. When the study is expanded to similar bacteria, we may also find the cure for meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis, and heart infections. More research is necessary to determine how to keep bacteria from building up defenses against the acid it produces.