Bacteriophages, the bacteria-eating viruses: the story of two scientific minds

Abstract

The discovery of bacteriophages (bacteria-eating viruses) is under discussion, some authors consider Felix d’Herelle as the only official discoverer of bacteriophages because he was able to prove, in 1917, that those entities, different from all known at the time, were responsible for lytic activity. In contrast, other authors propose Frederick W. Twort as the true discoverer, as, in 1915, he reported a lytic activity, even though he could not determine its origin. This article recounts the observations, proposals, and ideas of two individuals who were pillars in the discovery of bacteriophages, now being considered as tools to effectively combat deadly diseases of bacterial origin.

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