Nerdy Science Blog

When I read this piece of news, the first thought came across my mind was “Virus Toothpaste”

In one of the first potential applications of synthetic biology, an emerging field that aims to design and build useful biomolecular systems, researchers from MIT and Boston University are engineering viruses to attack and destroy the surface “biofilms” that harbor harmful bacteria in the body and on industrial and medical devices.

– ScienceDaily: Team Builds Viruses to Combat Harmful ‘Biofilms’

Biofilms are microenvironments and niche form by microorganisms. Biofilms consist of layers of microorganisms immobilized at a substratum surface with complex structural and functional characteristics. They can easily form on the teeth in the form of plaque.

Will the toothpaste in the future be advertised as “whitening, refreshing and full of virus”. By the way, not all viruses are bad, there are good viruses too.