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Today, we'll explore - obtaining new drugs - from viruses?

Usually, when someone mentions viruses, we cringe - remembering the last time we had the flu, or infections with the chicken pox or shingles. Perhaps even scarier, we think about emerging viruses such as Ebola which could be used in biological attacks.

Viruses are arguably the most diverse group of organisms on earth. Essentially all plants and animals have viruses which infect them and make their lives miserable! Even single cell organisms such as bacteria are afflicted by viruses.

Many times, a bacterial virus only attacks a specific bacterial type. For example, there is a virus that only infects salmonella. And when they do, they replicate themselves and rip apart the bacterial cell.

In a clever piece of biological engineering, the virus produces a specific protein called lysin that destroys the bacterial cell to release replicated viruses. Now this is where it gets interesting. In some innovative experiments, scientists have isolated these viral proteins and are developing them as new antibiotic.

These lysins have remarkable properties. One lysin protein molecule can kill a disease-causing bacterium in seconds. Importantly, they are also non-toxic in humans and animals and do not interfere with our immune system. These lysins represent a whole new class of antibacterial drugs.

Scientists are evaluating lysins against bacteria that cause strep throat, pneumonia, anthrax and even flesh eating bacteria. The hope is several will be safe and effective in humans.

Many appear promising. In some exciting recent clinical trials, bacterial growths on human heart valves were completely removed using lysins injected from a heart catheter. We've come a long way from the fear and loathing of viruses to exploit the lysins of these "good viruses".