Now in our 13th year of bringing you beautiful imagery from biomedical science every day

Search the archive of over 4000 images

Bug Balance
27 July 2015

Bug Balance

Your mouth is full of bacteria but not all produce teeth-rotting acids. The problem with using antiseptic mouthwashes is that they kill all bacteria – including helpful ones – which can upset a natural balance that’s important for oral health. Scientists have developed a synthetic peptide called C16G2 that destroys the acid-forming bacteria Streptococcus mutans – pictured here before (left) and after exposure (right) – without harming other species. The development of this selective mouthwash may have impacts far beyond dentistry. Creating a variety of peptides that target specific types of bacteria could provide a new class of drugs to fight disease with fewer side-effects than existing antibiotics. It may even be possible to engineer communities of bacteria anywhere in the body to correct imbalances.

Written by Mick Warwicker

Search The Archive

Submit An Image

Follow on Tumblr

Follow on Instagram

What is BPoD?

BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

Read More

BPoD is also available in Catalan at www.bpod.cat with translations by the University of Valencia.