Our Viral Futures

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a widely recognized existential threat to human life, and phages an important potential part of the solution. Through extensive interviews with key figures in phage medicine and thoughtful engagement with the biology and philosophy of this science, Brives reveals the transformative effect of mass use of antibiotics on bacteria, food production, and human health, helping us come to grips with the systemic influence of an antibiotic-soaked ecosystem. – John Dupre, author of The Metaphysics of BiologyHow shall we best live with viruses? This fascinating book tells the story of bacteriophages, therapeutically promising viruses that kill—or reenergize—bacteria. Emerging only in the relation, they challenge regulatory boards even as they open mysteries at the borders between life and nonlife. Brives draws us into both challenge and mystery. – Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing, coauthor of Field Guide to the Patchy Anthropocene: The New Nature

Charlotte Brives is an anthropologist of science and biomedicine. She is director of research at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS).

Bruno Latour (1947–2022) was among the most important figures in science and technology studies.