Can you believe it

[myrose]

Picture this: You're at the dentist's office and a

technician squirts a mouthwash containing

genetically modified bacteria onto your teeth. You

wait a few minutes, eat some sugar to help

colonize the new bacteria and from this day on, no

more cavities. This is the scenario that

researchers at the University of Florida are hoping

to fulfill one day soon. We have long known that

most cavities are caused by the activities of

Streptococcus mutans. This bacteria eats sugar

deposited on teeth and converts it into lactic acid,

which erodes tooth enamel and causes cavities.

To combat S. mutans, scientists created a new

bacterial strain, called BCS-LI. They started by

isolating a naturally occurring strain of S. mutans

which produces an antibiotic that kills other

strains of S. mutans. Then they modified this

strain by deleting the gene encoding lactate

dehydrogenase, the enzyme which makes lactic

acid from sugar. After just one treatment, the

super Strep should keep your mouth free of

lactic acid producing Strep and free of cavities!

 

 

 

http://www.explorebiotech.com/believe.htm