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The test uses harmless bacteriophages embedded in the gel to locate target bacteria in a sample of fluid such as lake water, urine or a container of milk, even in low concentrations.

With the rapid development of antibiotics in the 1930s, phage therapy -- using viruses known as bacteriophages or phages to tackle bacterial infections -- fell into oblivion.

And that solution, she writes, has been sitting on the shelves of a bacteriophage institute in Tbilisi, Georgia, for decades.

What's more, repeats can sometimes actually be viruses in disguise, or bacteriophages.

Recently, researchers have focused on viruses known as bacteriophages as a new tool to treat and disarm antibiotic-resistant bacteria.