Scientists have identified bacteria and specific bacterial enzymes that trigger harmful effects of triclosan, an antimicrobial agent found in thousands of consumer products; moreover, the study suggests these enzymes can be blocked from driving intestinal damage. Zhang et al. show that intestinal commensal microbes mediate metabolic activation of triclosan in the colon and drive its gut toxicology. Image credit: Darryl Leja, National Human Genome...
