Phages – “bacteria eaters” against dangerous infections

Episode von InFact - Der HZI-Podcast. Wissenschaft, die ansteckt. von HZI - Helmholtz-Zentrum für Infektionsforschung GmbH · 4. September 2025 · 20 min

In this episode of “InFact”, host Julia Demann talks to Jun. Prof. Jens Hör about a fascinating tool in the fight against resistant germs: Phages - viruses that specifically attack bacteria but are harmless to humans.

Phages act like tiny, specialized hunters: They attach themselves to bacteria, inject their genetic material, and reprogram the cells so that they only produce phage genetic material – until they eventually burst and release new phages. In theory, this is a promising alternative to antibiotics, but in practice it poses a major challenge. This is because bacteria also develop their own defense strategies.

At the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg, Jens Hör and his research group are investigating the role played by RNA phages in particular, how they differ from DNA phages – and what still needs to be done before phage therapies can be used nationwide in Germany.

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