Antibiotic
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Researchers at Northeastern University have discovered a new antibiotic called darobactin, hiding in the gut of a tiny, soil-dwelling, parasitic worm. Tests on mice have so far proved promising against gram-negative bacteria.
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Disinfectants are essential to fields such as medicine, yet they're difficult to ship to remote villages in developing nations. It may soon be possible to produce germ-killing hydrogen peroxide onsite, however, using just electricity, water and air.
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A new study indicates that ants can be very effective at protecting crops from diseases. It's even being suggested that ant-derived antibiotics could be applied on a commercial scale.