Science funding and unnecessary fear | Letters

Prof Stephen Blundell on the plight of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and Peter Forbes on bacteriophages and AI

Much of the commentary about the UK Research and Innovation science funding cuts has centred around the threatened closure of Jodrell Bank, with the iconic Lovell telescope rightly identified as a “source of wonder and pride” (). The viruses in question, bacteriophages, are the natural enemy of bacteria, have been used in medicine for over 100 years, and can already combat disease-resistant bacteria. Engineering bacteriophages to turn them into a really effective treatment for general use has been ongoing in many labs for decades. If there’s one task AI ought to be employed in, above all others, this is it.
Peter Forbes
Muswell Hill, London