Bacteria can be hardy little creatures, thanks mostly to their strong cell walls. Now researchers at Harvard have identified a structural weakness that seems to be built into a range of bacterial species, potentially paving the way for a new class of widely-effective antibacterial drugs.
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A new study has found that between 2000 and 2015 global consumption of antibiotics jumped 65 percent.The data from 76 countries found that while antibiotic use soared in lower income countries, consumption in high-income countries was static but still considerably higher per capita than LIMCs.
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In 2015, an exciting new antibiotic called teixobactin was discovered. Now, for the first time, the compound has been successfully synthesized and used to treat a bacterial infection in mice, marking an important milestone in the war against antibiotic-resistant superbugs.
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With bacteria becoming ever more resistant to our best antibiotics, scientists are searching high and low for new ones in nature. Now a team from Australia and Spain have discovered a promising peptide in the venom of the South American Rattlesnake.
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A team studying the antimicrobial properties of several ant species has found the industrious insects could help scientists develop new antibiotics to join the fight against human diseases.
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To prevent a future plagued with antibiotic-resistant bacteria, Australian scientists have looked to the past, digging up a long forgotten antibiotic candidate and finding that it’s effective against some of the most dangerous “superbugs.”
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A UK study has found that regular surfers were three times more likely to have an antibiotic resistant strain of E. coli bacteria in their gut than non-surfers, suggesting surfers are more likely to be at risk from these microorganisms.
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Ordinarily, people who are receiving new joints are placed on intravenous antibiotics before and after the operation. There might be a better method of reducing the chances of infection, however. An orthopedic surgeon has created antibiotic beads that are implanted with the joint.
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While investigating the side effects of antibiotics and how bacteria can develop resistance to them, researchers from MIT and Harvard have found that the drugs can actually work against the body, weakening the immune system’s ability to fight off the bugs.
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Bacteria are evolving resistance to antibiotics at an alarming rate. One of the main issues is overprescription of antibiotics, and now a new test developed by scientists at Caltech could help doctors quickly prescribe the best type of antibiotic to fight a particular infection.
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