New PreMiEr Preprint: A New Strategy for Fighting Hospital Infections Without Destroying the Microbiome
A new PreMiEr preprint introduces the concept of antipathobiotics, precision interventions that target pathogens in hospital environments while preserving beneficial microbes, offering an ecological alternative to broad-spectrum disinfection.
A new perspective piece by PreMiEr researchers introduces the concept of antipathobiotics, precision microbiome engineering interventions designed to selectively suppress dangerous pathogens in healthcare settings while preserving the beneficial microbial communities around them. Rather than broad-spectrum disinfection, which can create ecological vacuums that pathogens quickly refill, the authors propose approaches guided by ecological fit, colonization resistance, and functional redundancy. Drawing on lessons from gut microbiome research and agricultural biocontrol, the paper identifies bacteriophage cocktails and microbial-based cleaning products as leading candidates for reducing healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. The preprint was published on Zenodo.
Read more here: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19557546