Breaking bacteria’s genetic silence to synthesise antibiotics that evade resistance
Prospecting in bacterial genomes offers hope in search for new antimicrobial drugs
New antibiotics could be discovered in future by cracking ‘silent’ genetic codes in bacteria that make unknown natural products. The technique uses computers to predict the chemical structures of suspected antibiotic natural products, which can then be synthesised, offering a much needed route for new drugs to address the ongoing global public health crisis of antibiotic resistance.