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Understanding antibiotic resistance
Understanding antibiotic resistance

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1.1 Using quorum sensing to treat infections

On its own, a single bacterium cannot cause an infection but, just like the bacteria in Activity 1, pathogenic bacteria use quorum sensing to coordinate their behaviour and attack together. Disrupting this coordinated response by blocking quorum sensing could help to treat infections, as you will see next.

Activity 2 Preventing infections by disrupting quorum sensing

Timing: Allow about 15 minutes

a. 

a) It kills them


b. 

b) It blocks their ability to communicate with each other


c. 

c) It helps them to communicate with each other


d. 

d) It makes them grow faster


The correct answer is b.

Answer

The correct answer is (b) it blocks their ability to communicate with each other.

a. 

a) It stops them fluorescing


b. 

b) It makes them fluoresce more


c. 

c) It does not have any effect


The correct answer is a.

Answer

The correct answer is (a) it stops them fluorescing.

a. 

a) Less than 100 000 per year


b. 

b) 100 000 per week


c. 

c) Over 100 000 per year


The correct answer is c.

Answer

The correct answer is (c) over 100 000 people per year.

a. 

a) Expression of a protein that causes the bacteria to fluoresce


b. 

b) Expression of a virulence protein that allows the bacteria to stick to the gut


c. 

c) Expression of a protein that makes the bacteria move faster


The correct answer is b.

Answer

The correct answer is (b) expression of a virulence protein that allows the bacteria to stick to the gut.

a. 

a) It increases protein expression and prevents the infection


b. 

b) It decreases protein expression and prevents the infection


c. 

c) It increases protein expression and increases the likelihood of infection


d. 

d) It decreases protein expression and increases the likelihood of infection


e. 

e) It has no effect on protein expression or infection


The correct answer is b.

Answer

The correct answer is (b) it decreases protein expression and prevents the infection.