Machine learning detects bacterial invasion and DNA damage in human cells

AI Summary

Researchers used machine learning to detect when bacteria invade human cells and cause DNA damage, potentially adding a more informative tool to microbiology and antibiotic research. The method extends beyond the traditional test of whether bacteria can grow in the presence of a treatment.

When scientists assess how dangerous a bacterium is, the first question often seems simple: Can it be stopped or killed? In microbiology and antibiotic research, one of the classic readouts has been whether a bacterium can grow in the presence of a given treatment. The bacterium either grows or it does not. The drug either stops it or it does not.