Which term is most appropriate for a drug that specifically inhibits replication of influenza virus?

You are given a set of culture plates: some show bacteria growing up to the edge of a mold colony, while others show a distinct inhibition zone around the mold. Which conclusion is best supported, and what follow-up would test whether the inhibitory effect is due to a secreted antibiotic?

You are given four drug candidates for development: (A) a fungal metabolite that disrupts bacterial peptidoglycan synthesis, (B) a synthetic compound that inhibits a viral protease, (C) a soil actinomycete product that binds ergosterol, and (D) a synthetic compound that inhibits mammalian mitochondrial ribosomes more than bacterial ones. Rank them from best to worst candidates for safe antimicrobial therapy, and justify your synthesis based on selective toxicity.

A patient receives Drug X and Drug Y. In vitro testing shows the combination kills 10-fold more bacteria than predicted from independent effects of each drug. Which term best describes this interaction and why?

You perform a checkerboard assay and obtain the following FIC indices: Drug X + Drug Y = 0.40, Drug X + Drug Z = 1.20, Drug Y + Drug Z = 0.60. Which pairing shows the strongest synergy, which is indifferent, and what is the best interpretation regarding which mechanism to investigate first?

You observe in vitro that adding Drug Q to Drug R reduces the MIC of Drug R 8-fold. To determine if the synergy is due to increased uptake of R caused by Q disrupting the membrane, which experimental follow-up would best test this hypothesis?