Faecal transplants, ’robotic guts’ and the fight against deadly gut bugs

A simple compound found in our gut could help to stop dangerous bacteria behind severe, and sometimes fatal, hospital infections. Dr Ben Mullish understands more than most about the seriousness of gut bugs. Although many people will appear to have no more than an upset stomach for a couple of days, infections of the gut and intestines can prove deadly to vulnerable patients, such as the elderly or those undergoing cancer therapy. "A typical story is someone is admitted to hospital with a stubborn chest or bladder infection and so have needed a prolonged course of antibiotics. But this treatment then also kills off their normal 'healthy' gut bacteria, leaving them much more vulnerable to infection from harmful bugs," explains Dr Mullish, a clinical research fellow at the Department of Surgery and Cancer. One of the most common culprits is Clostridium difficile , or C. diff . The bacterium is a common cause of serious illness, particularly among hospital patients.