According to a study conducted in the United States, “bacteria-annihilating” beneficial bacteriophages were discovered on the surfaces of toothbrushes and showerheads. Researchers in the United States found that viruses identified in microorganisms called “biofilms” on the surfaces of showerheads and toothbrushes contain bacteriophages that attack and eliminate bacteria, which are used to solve antibiotic resistance issues. According to CNN, researchers from Northwestern University examined biofilms, which are “sticky” microorganisms consisting of different types of bacteria that can be found on surfaces. As a result of their studies on biofilms on 34 toothbrushes and 92 showerhead surfaces, researchers identified 614 different viruses on these surfaces and suggested that this number could be higher due to each sample containing “unique clusters of microbes.” Researchers pointed out that microbes that thrive in warm, humid environments on showerheads and toothbrushes can lead to the presence of a wide variety of viruses in a household. Emphasizing that these viruses contain bacteriophages known as “bacteria-annihilating” rather than causing a disease like the flu or cold, researchers highlighted that bacteriophages are used as a solution to the problem of antibiotic resistance. Due to the diversity of microbes on toothbrush and showerhead surfaces, researchers indicated that there may be “tens, hundreds, or even thousands” of viruses infecting each bacterium. Erica Hartmann, one of the authors of the research, expressed that microbes are everywhere and approaching the microbial world with curiosity about the potential they offer in biotechnology is important, even if it initially triggers disgust. The results of the study were published in the journal “Frontiers in Microbiomes.”