What an amazing story! It reminds me of the iceberg example, that the science we see is the top of the iceberg. But below the surface is the science that has come before, the foundation, to make that little tip above the water visible. Love stories like this!
Well, that's probably where I remember it from! Love your articles! If we only worked on the science that's obvious, we'd have some of the best abacuses, but not one computer. Some of the best bloodletting centers, but not one cancer treatment. We forget it took hundreds of years just to reach the conclusion that we shouldn't throw our poo into the water we drink. 😆
This is a beautiful start to the series, and letting the science carry the emotion rather than the other way round is what makes it land.
One thing your ending quietly sets up: removing the repressor to force the lytic switch is exactly what made the phages therapeutic, but obligate killing also puts maximum pressure on the bacterium to evolve around them, which is what eventually happened. The four years and the escape come from the same mechanism.
It's the strongest case for the kind of phage library Hatfull spent decades building, rather than any single phage.
Thank you! And yes. This is also exactly why more research is needed and that means we need this kind of work (and so many others) to keep being funded.
What an amazing story! It reminds me of the iceberg example, that the science we see is the top of the iceberg. But below the surface is the science that has come before, the foundation, to make that little tip above the water visible. Love stories like this!
Yes! Exactly. I did an iceberg post explaining exactly this with a friend last year. So much of the work is invisible but has such big impact.
Well, that's probably where I remember it from! Love your articles! If we only worked on the science that's obvious, we'd have some of the best abacuses, but not one computer. Some of the best bloodletting centers, but not one cancer treatment. We forget it took hundreds of years just to reach the conclusion that we shouldn't throw our poo into the water we drink. 😆
you explained that very clearly and simply - thanks.
i really fear what lays ahead for science and the rest of us
This is a beautiful start to the series, and letting the science carry the emotion rather than the other way round is what makes it land.
One thing your ending quietly sets up: removing the repressor to force the lytic switch is exactly what made the phages therapeutic, but obligate killing also puts maximum pressure on the bacterium to evolve around them, which is what eventually happened. The four years and the escape come from the same mechanism.
It's the strongest case for the kind of phage library Hatfull spent decades building, rather than any single phage.
Thank you! And yes. This is also exactly why more research is needed and that means we need this kind of work (and so many others) to keep being funded.
Very well communicated. Thank you.
Thank you for reading!