Question: how many types of bacteria have you found a way of getting rid of?

Jess Bean answered on 18 Jun 2013:

Good question! There are millions of different kinds of bacteria that are on this planet, and there is a very small chance that we can find a way of killing them all. In fact some bacteria are actually really helpful to us! Also, bacteria come in many different forms and so we would need many different ways of killing them.

The way I go about it in my research is to look at certain types of bacteria that we know are really common in hospital infections. These bacteria especially are common and dangerous.

My research focusses on a bacterium called Staphylococcus aureus. You may know it from its other names, e.g. MRSA. This bacteria is found in many burn infections as most of us carry it normally on our skin. If it gets into the body through a cut or wound, it can produce toxins that can be really dangerous.