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Antimicrobial resistance
In this collection, we explore the critical issue of antimicrobial resistance, covering the latest research on antibiotic mechanisms, microbial evolution, resistance detection methods, and strategies for combating antimicrobial resistance in healthcare and the environment.
Highlights
The drug developers fighting the antibiotic resistance problem
Andy Extance talks to the researchers innovating across different drug classes in the hunt to develop new treatments
Who will pay for new antibiotics?
Governments around the world are starting to consider alternative funding models and incentives for antibiotics. Katrina Megget asks if it is enough
Charting the rise in antimicrobial resistance
We look at the data behind antibiotic drug discovery and development, bacterial resistance and the financial problems with the current business model
How can we maintain the effectiveness of existing antimicrobials?
Reducing environmental pollution and tackling quality issues to stave off resistance
If the drugs don’t work
A world without antibiotics would be a terrifying place
Resistant to change
Curbing industrial practices that drive antimicrobial resistance needs tighter regulation and enforcement
Surviving in the war of all against all
Cancers and bacteria develop resistance to drugs in remarkably similar ways
Catching the citizen science bug
Involving the public in research tackling superbugs
Antimicrobial resistance: Exploring the One Health perspective and wastewater monitoring
The challenges created by antimicrobial resistance are only set to grow. Join us to equip yourself with the most up-to-date facts and knowledge
ResearchNon-antibiotics with antibacterial activity could help in the fight against antimicrobial resistance
New analysis shows that non-antibiotic drugs kill bacteria through mechanisms that differ from those of conventional antibiotics
ResearchPre-organising antibiotic structure could aid fight against resistance
Strategy that produced new antibiotic could allow researchers to repurpose existing antibiotics
ResearchMachine learning identifies promising antibacterial ruthenium-based drug candidates
Algorithm demonstrated a success rate six times higher than a random screening against resistant bacteria
ResearchBiocatalysis breakthrough enables synthesis of lactam building blocks for drugs
Enzymatic cyclisation of oxazolone reagents offers a cheap and simple route to important antibiotic precursor
ResearchAntibiotic adjuvant designed to subvert bacterial defence mechanisms
Amphiphilic molecule helps obsolete antibiotics accumulate and act within bacteria
ResearchMapping antibiotic’s binding of its target points to way to give drugs the killer edge
Technique that creates a comprehensive catalogue of mutations in antibiotic’s target reveals how drugs might be improved
ResearchSynthetic peptide mimics can act as antivirals
Peptoids disrupt enveloped viruses’ lipid membranes as well as targeting fungi and bacteria
ResearchRevived Neanderthal and Denisovan peptides show antibiotic activity
Molecular-scale ‘Jurassic Park’ process could uncover new medicines
NewsUK to invest £210 million in global effort to monitor antimicrobial resistance
Funds will support upgrades to laboratories and staff training
ResearchAncient microbial natural products reconstructed from Neanderthal dental plaques
Palaeogenomic approach allows natural product researchers to ‘go back in time’
BusinessUK antibiotics supply chain stretched by surge in Strep A infections
Government enacts protocols to enable substitute treatments and recommends preventive prescriptions in severe cases
ResearchTeixobactin’s two pronged antibiotic attack mechanism revealed
Understanding of formation of deadly supramolecular structures could help build improved antimicrobials
ResearchMolecular machine drills holes in antibiotic-resistant bacteria killing them
Bacteria aren’t able to develop resistance against nanomotor’s deadly action
ResearchBreaking bacteria’s genetic silence to synthesise antibiotics that evade resistance
Prospecting in bacterial genomes offers hope in search for new antimicrobial drugs
BusinessUK takes subscription approach for new antibiotics
Decoupling payment from prescriptions helps preserve last-line antibiotics and encourage R&D
ResearchExtent of pharmaceutical pollution on every continent on Earth revealed
Largest study of its kind creates map of drug contamination hotspots
OpinionThe shadow of drug resistance
Why do some medicines stop working, and can we avoid it for Covid-19 antivirals?
FeatureSupermetals versus superbugs
With pathogenic bacteria rapidly overcoming our arsenal of organic antibiotics, James Mitchell Crow asks if it is time to revisit metal-based antimicrobials
ResearchBlocking bacteria’s self-poisoning mechanism weakens their antibiotic resistance
Stopping bacteria from producing hydrogen sulfide in response to drugs could help overcome antimicrobial resistance
BusinessStriving to bolster the antibiotic pipeline before it becomes the next crisis
It’s been almost 10 years since the world was warned of a post-antibiotic apocalypse. Katrina Megget takes a look at the initiatives trying to support antimicrobial R&D
ResearchMachine learning tool sets out to find new antimicrobial peptides
IBM researchers say their fully automated AI-driven system could speed up the discovery of molecules for novel antibiotics
NewsOxford University to open antimicrobial research centre after £100m donation from Ineos
Petrochemical giant highlights dangers of antibiotic resistance
OpinionLooking beyond the next wave
We need to apply lessons from Covid-19 to tackle antimicrobial resistance and climate change
ResearchCheating bacterium becomes antibiotic-tolerant at expense of other species
Coexistence triggers counterintuitive antibiotics response in bacteria, which could be used to tackle hardy species