Their compromised membranes, the study suggests, could be exploited therapeutically, making them susceptible to treatments that would not affect classic dormant persisters.

While one subgroup may be destroyed by a drug or vaccine, others survive and continue the infection.

The team discovered protein fragments broken down by the proteasome were as effective in fighting microbes as antibiotics.

Breakthrough technology blends sensors and human tissue in a smart kidney chip, allowing scientists to find a previously unknown toxicity mechanism.

For the first time in history, Israeli researchers developed a 'biological antibiotic' that could act as a substitute for traditional chemical antibiotics.