MIT bioengineer Alexander Klibanov is devising a nasty weapon to ward off microbes: a bed of nanoscopic nails. Affixed to computer keyboards, countertops and fabrics, the nails would puncture germs the way road spikes pierce tires, providing permanent protection against bacteria, Klibanov says.

A century ago, an ear infection could have meant deafness; a staph infection could have meant death. Those days may seem long gone. But scientists warn that drug resistance could be our Achilles heel. "Just about every pathogen that causes human disease is becoming resistant to the drugs we rely on most to treat them," says David Bell, the CDC's antimicrobial resistance coordinator. Everything from malaria to bacteria lurking in leftovers is getting harder to kill. Here, five top offenders.

POISON POULTRY: Campylobacter jejuni

How long do microbes like bacteria and viruses live on surfaces in the home at normal room temperatures?

Art Dekenipp
Alvin, Texas




The answer is probably not what you want to hear: Microbes can live on household surfaces for hundreds of years. The good news, however, is that most don't. Some well-known viruses, like HIV, live only a few seconds.