C&EN: [BONUS] 'Night soil' recycling and could viruses be the new antibiotics?: Tiny Show and Tell Us #16 [BONUS] 'Night soil' recycling and could viruses be the new antibiotics?: Tiny Show and Tell Us #16 Antibiotics work by killing bacteria and preventing them from multiplying. Common antibiotics include penicillin and amoxicillin. Antibiotics are medicines used to treat or prevent bacterial infections - they do not work against viral infections such as colds or the flu.

Understanding the Context

They are usually prescribed for serious bacterial infections or if the immune system is weakened, though many infections can improve without them. The global rise in antibiotic resistance is making bacterial infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness, and death. Once considered miracle drugs, antibiotics ... You wake up with a stuffy nose, a scratchy throat, and that unmistakable feeling of a cold coming on.

Key Insights

Your first thought? “Maybe I should get antibiotics to knock this out quickly.” But here’s the ... Jumbo phages belong to a group of viruses that attack bacteria. They inject their DNA and then reproduce by taking over the cell’s DNA-copying machinery. Eventually, a phage makes so many copies of ...

Final Thoughts

What are some of the most commonly prescribed antibiotics? View our list of the top generic and brand drugs and learn about the types of antibiotics.