Antibiotic

The cell wall of bacteria helps keep toxins such as antibiotics out. Now, researchers have discovered a key mechanism that bacteria use to build their cell walls, which could present a new target in the ongoing quest to develop new drugs.

Bacteria are a looming threat to public health, as they continue to develop resistance to antibiotics. Now a new study has identified a peptide that can make existing antibiotics more effective at a much lower dose.

Small “persister” populations of bacteria are able to hide from antibiotics, seeding a new colony afterwards. Now scientists at the University of Surrey have identified genetic mutations that turn some bugs into persisters by making them “forgetful.”

The treatment of infections can be challenging, as it takes time to determine if harmful bacteria are even present, and to then figure out which antibiotic would work best. A simple new test, however, is said to answer both questions on the spot.

Bacteria are evolving resistance to antibiotics much faster than new drugs can be developed. Now, an artificial intelligence model has identified a powerful new antibiotic called halicin, which cleared infections of most superbugs in mouse tests.

Researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences have developed a smart bandage that changes color to signal either drug-resistant or drug-sensitive bacteria. It can then be triggered to release antibiotics or other chemicals to kill off the bugs.

Researchers at Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência (IGC) in Portugal and Stanford in the US have identified one particular bacterium, Klebsiella michiganensis, that could be administered after a round of antibiotics to help prevent harmful infections.

Polysporin may be in for some serious competition, as Swedish scientists have created a healing gel that not only kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but also reduces inflammation within wounds. It could someday replace antibiotic-based medications.

Researchers at Rice University have developed a new method to kill emerging superbugs, using molecular “drills” to pierce their cell walls. The same technique has also been shown to work on cancer cells.

One of the most alarmingly plausible (and overlooked) doomsday scenarios is the rise of the superbug, bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. But now, scientists have found a new potential treatment – and it was hiding in our skin the whole time.

Bacteria tend to build colonies behind barriers known as biofilms, which are hard for antibiotics to penetrate. Now, researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) have developed a hybrid antibiotic that can punch through some biofilms.

Gum disease is a very common condition, and it's usually caused by bacteria. Although orally-administered antibiotics are typically used to treat severe cases, a new treatment could be much more effective – with fewer side effects.