Eli5 what are phages (the medical alternative to antibiotics) and how do they work?

Question

Eli5 what are phages (the medical alternative to antibiotics) and how do they work?

In: 212

Answer 1

Viruses that target a specific bacteria, basically. The reason we don’t use them is because A) they’re too specific (each phage kills a specific species of bacteria, antibiotics on the other hand are more broad) and B) Phages are harder to identify, isolate and produce more of them.

However due to antibiotic resistant pathogens scientists are starting to look into them again.