The great ability of humans is to associate unrelated things

Kary Mullis sees
1. progressive antibiotic resistance in disease-causing bacteria
2. molecules on nonprimate mammal cells that cause immediate ferocious immune response in humans

So, he figures out a way to take the molecules that elicit the immune response and attach them to the disease-causing bacteria, triggering a tremendous immune response.

http://www.ted.com/talks/kary_mullis_next_gen_cure_for_killer_infections.html

http://www.amazon.co.jp/alpha-Gal-Anti-Gal-3-Galactosyltransferase-Subcellular-Biochemistry/dp/030646103X