Ailsa Wild / Briony Barr
The Invisible War is about the bacteriophage (bacteria-eating virus) which lives in human mucus and fights dysentery (caused by the Shiga / Shigella bacterium). The story takes place on two different physical scales; the macro-scale, from the point of view of a Australian nurse serving in the trenches of France, and the micro-level, from the point of view of the microbes which fight to keep her body alive when she contracts dysentery.Inspired by very recent discoveries which demonstrate that there is an amazing symbiosis that takes place between us and the bacteriophages. Described widely as a ‘second immune system’, this symbiotic relationship is our first line of defense against infection by disease-causing bacteria.The Invisible War also shows the filthy tragedy of war and the extreme physical conditions endured by young men and women in World War One.
