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New Delhi – Bacteriophages — viruses that target and kill specific bacteria — present a natural method for healing pearl oysters after surgical implantation, while offering a sustainable and eco-friendly alternative to the use of antibiotics, marine biologist and Padma Shri recipient Ajai Kumar Sonkar has said.

Pearl oysters are surgically implanted to trigger the formation of a pearl, which makes use of an oyster’s natural defence mechanism.

Experiments revealed that oysters immersed in seawater enriched with bacteriophage for 72 hours showed a significantly faster recovery from wounds, compared to those treated using antibiotics, according to a study abstract shared by Sonkar with PTI.

The bacteriophage-based technique of treating oysters also demonstrates h

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