Scientists have found how the skin of the fingertips defends itself against a common bug that causes diarrhoea. The skin secretes a special protein, called psoriasin, which kills several strains of E.coli by mopping up the zinc the bacteria rely on to survive. Most strains of E.coli are harmless and live in the gut, but some, such as the O157 strain, cause food poisoning and are potentially fatal. The University of Kiel research appears in Nature Immunology.
