NEW strategies to apply antibiotics more effectively to hibernating bugs have been developed by boffins at the University of Hertfordshire.

Dr Ole Steuernagel and Dr Daniel Polani suggest their techniques could help in the against fight infections like MRSA and E.coli.

Dr Steuernagel said: “Although the medication can wipe out active populations, it often misses the hibernating ones because they are metabolically inactive.

“It may not be enough just to kill off the active bacteria, the hibernating rest will ‘wake up’ and reestablish themselves,” he added.