Lytic enzymes were discovered years ago by Alexander Fleming right before his ground-breaking discovery of penicillin, which led to today’s antibiotics.  Because of today’s superbugs which are largely resistant to antibiotics, scientists are taking another look at lytic enzymes which are produced by tears, saliva, and other bodily fluids. 

The study, originally published in the journal Physical Biology, examines a method to analyze which lytic enzymes are most effective in killing bacteria, especially those resistant to antibiotics. Each type of lytic enzyme targets a specific kind of bacteria.  The new method has been described by study authors Joshua Weitz and Gabriel Mitchell as being “based on turbidity assays.”

For more information about this study, please visit http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/203418.php.