Worm Guts May Hold a New Weapon against Antibiotic-Resistant Germs

A gruesome fate looms for any caterpillar that gets infected with a certain kind of tiny parasitic roundworm. Commensal Photorhabdus bacteria that live in the worm’s gut release a flood of toxins, enzymes, and antibiotics that blunt the caterpillar’s immune response and turn its tissues into a worm-nourishing soup. What’s bad for a caterpillar, though, may be a boon for people thanks to a recent discovery by NIAID-supported scientist Kim Lewis, Ph.D. Dr. Lewis and his colleagues at Northeastern University search for new compounds from natural sources to treat antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.