A resistance gene contains the information for the production of a protein that makes an antibiotic ineffective and hence confers resistance against an antibiotic to a pathogen.
Detailed description
Resistance genes are usually found on a ring-shaped piece of DNA, the plasmid. Like this, they can easily be passed on from one bacterium to another. Plants can possess resistance genes as well. They are usually directed against herbicides and pests.
Looking for an effective treatment of serious influenza infections, researchers of the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut have used bioinformatics to screen licensed medicines for their potential efficacy against
Helicobacter pylori, a globally distributed gastric bacterium, is genetically highly adaptable. The DZIF team of Professor Sebastian Suerbaum at LMU has now characterized its population structure in
Salmonellainfections can have serious consequences for certain high-risk groups, such as young children, the elderly and individuals whose immune systems are functionally compromised.Most people
The aim of SYNERGIE, the new magazine published jointly by the German Centers of Health Research (DZG,) is to present modern medical research and provide a brief digest of the latest research findings
Every year on 24 March, we commemorate Robert Koch’s discovery of the tubercle bacillus. Almost 140 years later, tuberculosis is still the leading infectious disease with the most number of deaths
Developing a new medication usually takes more than ten years. Out of the several thousand substances investigated in basic and pre-clinical research, only one or two candidates are approved by
The working group deals with the genetic analysis of tuberculosis pathogens. It uses the latest techniques of DNA sequencing (next generation sequencing) to determine the distribution of individual TB strains based on gene sequences. The molecular epidemiological data are combined with traditional ...
The rapid spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is calling infection researchers to action. Which mechanisms protect bacteria and which methods can make them vulnerable once again? In an article
United against infections The corona pandemic has made it clear how important infection research is. However, the emergence and spread of unknown viruses such as, most recently, SARS-CoV-2 is not new
Many common antibiotics are increasingly losing their effectiveness against multi-resistant pathogens, which are becoming ever more prevalent. Bacteria use natural means to acquire mechanisms that
