Science

Scientists discover a bacterial defense so strange they thought it was broken

Scientists have discovered a bizarre bacterial defense system that works almost completely backward from anything seen before.

✦ Extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting•From 1 source•1 min read•Updated October 31, 2026, 10:38 AM UTC

Unlike typical bacterial immune systems that keep a deadly toxin under control until a virus attacks, this unusual mechanism waits until an infection begins before producing the DNA that switches on its lethal weapon.

The infected bacterium then destroys itself, preventing the virus from multiplying and spreading to neighboring cells.

How this summary was made: extractive summary — built from the sources' own reporting. It is drawn only from the reporting of the sources listed below — read the originals for full detail. How we summarize →

Advertisement

Every article behind this summary — 1 article from 1 outlet