P68 Phage Container

P68 Bacteriophage ContainerPhage FunWhile P68 isn't as popular as its cousins, Lambda or T4 phages, it does make for an easy to print model of a beautiful nanomachine. At approximately 48 nm in diameter, the head of phage is roughly 2000 times smaller than a strand of hair. Despite its size, P68 has the power to kill the bacteria that causes staph infections (Staphylococcus aureus) and has been investigated as a potential treatment for MRSA. It is able to wage microbial warfare by first landing and attaching to the surface of the bacteria with its tail fibers (the leg-looking structures). P68 then inserts its spike through the membrane of the bacterium and injects its DNA into the host. Using the bacterium's own machinery, P68 replicates itself until it kills the cell and bursts out with many clones to go infect other S.aureus neighbors (kind of like the movie, Alien). Have no fear, though - since P68 can only infect bacteria, you are safe. And as the saying goes, “the enemy of