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Microplastics, the microscopic and nano-sized plastic particles that are invading our bodies, lend a hand to bacteria attempting to evade our most powerful antibiotics.  Boston University bioengineers studied this phenomenon using E. coli, the bacteria that often cause serious and sometimes deadly food poisoning,

The investigators show that, when  these bacteria attach to microplastics, they are able to more readily form so-called biofilms.  These multi-layered film coatings serve as refuge for the bacteria and prevent even powerful antibiotics from killing them.

The BU group is expanding its work from the laboratory to the clinic.  By understanding how these ubiquitous microplastics are empowering bacteria in their resistance tour  antibiotics, they hope to reverse the trend toward a greater number of antibiotic-resistant bugs.  Meanwhile, your best defense is keeping microplastics out of your body by drinking water, cooking, and storing food in glass and metal rather than plastic containers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/03/250311121511.htm

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/aem.02282-24

#microplastics #bacteria #resistance #antibiotics #biofilms