With Red Cross First Aid classes, you learn important methods of cleaning, bandaging and caring for wounds. Of critical importance are the steps to prevent infection, which can cause serious complications for otherwise minor injuries. In recent news, UK scientists have created an ally in the fight against bacteria! As Popular Science reports, these University of Bath researchers have pretty much invented “antibacterial landmines” with their new, targeted wound dressings.

This “smart bandage” is so brilliant, it lures harmful microbes in, confuses them, and then kills them off! The Trojan Horse-style trickery is done through tiny bandage vesicles that mimic healthy cells, then explode with an antibacterial agent when germs attack!

The technique isn’t perfected yet, as bandage vesicles haven’t been exhaustively tested on multiple bacterial strains. Additionally, scientists admit their experimental strategy doesn’t exactly reflect real-world bacterial interactions. Regardless, how awesome is it to see bandages fighting back?

Insidious germ image courtesy of wpbkids.files.wordpress.com