We suggest that a more effective strategy would be to use RecA inhibitors, including zinc compounds, to prevent the emergence of resistance in situations where sensitive microbes are still present, but induction of the SOS response would be expected or inevitable, such as when UV light, ionizing radiation, cytotoxic cancer chemotherapy, or other SOS-inducing drugs are used (Rutala et al., 2010). Here, RAD51 is linked to cancer.