Sick and hospitalised patients commonly become infected with superbugs such as MRSA. The scale of the problem is extensive with deaths from MRSA in the UK having increased from 51 to 800 between 1993 and 2004, while reported cases of MRSA have grown from 210 to 8,000 over the same period. In addition, the annual total for all hospital-acquired infections may be as high as 100,000 cases, costing the NHS £1bn per year. The fight against bacterial diseases means that we need to continue to introduce best practice to prevent the spread of these infections and also develop new antibiotics to kill MRSA and other resistant bacteria.

Maggots have been used for treating infected wounds for centuries, but this treatment has only regained favour with the emergence of superbugs that are resistant to a wide range of currently used antibiotics. These researchers aim to isolate novel antibiotics from the secretions of maggots for the treatment of patients infected with superbugs. We already know that maggots produce these antibiotics since many patients have their MRSA-infected wounds treated with live maggots. This is because maggots are extremely effective at killing the MRSA bugs, cleaning the wounds, and promoting the healing process. It may be possible to use the chemicals they produce on their own, without having to use the maggots with them. The ultimate aim of this research is to identify possible new treatments for these devastating infections.