Phage comeback
About this resource
- Appropriate grades
- 8
- Subjects
- science (biology and life science, technology and innovation), thinking skills (information literacy)
- Provider
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
Legal
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In this Science Update, students explore how overprescription and misuse of antibiotics causes the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and what scientists are doing to find alternatives. Prior to the use of antibiotics, doctors often used specialized viruses called phages to kill disease-causing bacteria. Carl Merril, Chief of Biochemical Genetics at the National Institutes of Health, phage therapies fell out of favor because the organisms weren't well understood. Because of modern technology, phages are making a comeback, which could make it easier to purify them and to quickly identify the best one to use, which were major hurdles in the past. One of the main reasons people are interested in phage now is that the problem with antibiotic resistance is becoming ever more important. Science NetLinks provides a link to the audio file, a written transcript, and questions to engage students in discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using phages to fight infections and the technological advances that have re-introduced them into the medical field after so many years. This activity also contains link to “Cells Alive,” an overview of bacteriophage, an online article about drug-resistant pathogens from National Geographic, and a paper on antibacterial household products from the CDC.
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Science (2005)
Grade 8
- Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
- Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
- Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
- explain observations.
- make inferences and predictions.
- develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
- Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
- Communicate findings.
- Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
- Describe strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and/or data.
- Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
- Research.
- Gather and analyze data.
- Visualize data.
- Disseminate findings to others.
- Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
- Scientific text.
- Articles.
- Events in the popular press.
- Goal 7: The learner will conduct investigations, use models, simulations, and appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of microbiology.
- Objective 7.02: Describe diseases caused by microscopic biological hazards including:
- Viruses.
- Bacteria.
- Parasites.
- Contagions.
- Mutagens.
- Objective 7.04: Evaluate the human attempt to reduce the risk of and treatments for microbial infections including:
- Solutions with anti-microbial properties.
- Antibiotic treatment.
- Research.
- Objective 7.05: Investigate aspects of biotechnology including:
- Specific genetic information available.
- Careers.
- Economic benefits to North Carolina.
- Ethical issues.
- Impact for agriculture.
- Objective 7.02: Describe diseases caused by microscopic biological hazards including:
