Researchers discover bacteria-killer from natural source

Researchers of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) discover a new antibiotic with an effect against gram-negative bacteria.

Ever more pathogens develop resistance to antibiotics. Very much feared in hospital settings is the group of gram-negative bacteria, for example Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeroginosa. They are most difficult to control as these bacteria possess two cell membranes which must be crossed by potentially active substances. DZIF-scientists from the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig just discovered a  potential new antibiotic that shows an effect against these bacteria, which are difficult to control. They discovered a novel chemical class of substances, which they named cystobactamides. Their results are published in the renowned professional journal, Angewandte Chemie International Edition.