Scientists produce self-healing gel made out of bacteria-killing viruses

It’s impossible to improve on that headline. It’s practically the ultimate medicine-related science fiction headline. Here’s what the article says:

Bacteria-killing viruses, called bacteriophages or phages, are the most abundant and diverse group of organisms on the planet, far outnumbering any other life form — even bacteria. …

In her lab, Hosseini-Doust grew, extracted and packed bacteriophages together at such a great density that they spontaneously arranged themselves into liquid crystals. When Hosseini-Doust added a chemical binder, the crystallized phages formed a gelatin-like substance that repairs itself when cut. …

The new gel could be augmented for a variety of purposes. Because bacteriophage DNA can be easily edited, the viruses can be trained to attack cancer cells, eat plastics or counteract environmental pollutants.

Wow. Like the phage-related snake oil of the (possibly near) future.