Not Just a Phage

Not Just a Phage

Update: 2024-08-12
Share

Description

We’re hurtling towards a post-antibiotic world, as the overuse of antibiotics has given rise to dangerous drug-resistant bacteria. Can we fight back using viruses as weapons? An obscure medical therapy uses certain viruses called bacteriophages to treat infection. For a century attempts to turn phage-therapy into a life-saving treatment have faltered, but today there’s renewed interest in this approach. Can we use phages to forestall the antibiotic crisis? 

Guests:

Claas Kirchhelle – Medical historian at the University College, Dublin

Tom Ireland – Journalist, editor of The Biologist and author of “The Good Virus: The Amazing Story and Forgotten Promise of the Phage

Steffanie Strathdee – Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences at the University of California San Diego

Tom Patterson – Professor of psychiatry at the University of California San Diego

Featuring music by Dewey Dellay and Jun Miyake

You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!

Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.

 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Comments 
In Channel
Amazing Amazonia

Amazing Amazonia

2024-11-1101:12:05

Fuhgeddaboudit**

Fuhgeddaboudit**

2024-11-0453:41

How Hot is Too Hot?*

How Hot is Too Hot?*

2024-10-2854:23

Platypus Crazy*

Platypus Crazy*

2024-10-2153:37

Measure For Measure

Measure For Measure

2024-09-3053:28

Cold Comfort

Cold Comfort

2024-09-1650:43

Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks

2024-09-0954:19

Calling All Aliens*

Calling All Aliens*

2024-09-0252:50

Catching Fire

Catching Fire

2024-08-1952:41

Not Just a Phage

Not Just a Phage

2024-08-1252:00

Animal Alphabets

Animal Alphabets

2024-07-2952:21

loading
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

Not Just a Phage

Not Just a Phage

SETI Institute