New details about the role of zinc in our immune system could help the development of new non-antibiotic treatment strategies for bacterial diseases, such as urinary tract infections (UTIs). UTIs are one of the most common bacterial infections worldwide and can lead to serious conditions such as kidney infection and sepsis. A team of researchers examined how our immune system uses zinc to fight uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) — the major cause of UTIs.