Phages can not only destroy bacteria, but also cause them to become weaker
This unusual strategy was described by scientists in a new study on the dangerous E. coli K1. Specially selected bacteriophages attacked the bacteria's protective capsule. In an attempt to become resistant to the phages, E. coli lost this capsule, and with it, an important defense mechanism against the immune system. The modified bacteria then became more vulnerable to antibodies, and the probiotic strain helped expel them from the intestines.