Balding Bacteria (IMAGE) Washington University School of Medicine Caption Bacteria that cause many urinary tract infections are normally coated in fine hairlike structures known as pili (top), but researchers have been developing new drugs that leave the bacteria bald and incapable of causing infections (bottom). The schematic in the center (not to scale) shows how a drug molecule (in the circle) blocks the activity of a chaperone protein that helps assemble the pili. Credit none Usage Restrictions Washington University in St. Louis provides this image for free use by media for purposes of news coverage; all other uses are prohibited. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.