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Published Date : 15/08/2025
Researchers at MIT have developed new antibiotics using artificial intelligence (AI) to combat drug-resistant superbugs like gonorrhoea and MRSA. These novel compounds, designed to disrupt bacterial cell membranes, show promise in addressing the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance.
Researchers at MIT have developed new antibiotics using artificial intelligence (AI) to combat drug-resistant superbugs like gonorrhoea and MRSA. These novel compounds, designed to disrupt bacterial cell membranes, show promise in addressing the growing crisis of antibiotic resistance.
New antibiotics that could kill drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA have been developed with the help of artificial intelligence (AI), researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have announced. The team used generative AI algorithms to design more than 36 million possible compounds. Once computationally screened for antimicrobial properties, the top candidates were shown to be structurally different from any existing antibiotics. They also seemed to work in a new way - by disrupting bacterial cell membranes.
Antibiotics kill bacteria, but some infections have become resistant to drugs. It is estimated that drug-resistant bacterial infections cause nearly five million deaths per year worldwide. Two compounds were found to be effective against gonorrhoea and MRSA infections - namely NG1 and DN1, respectively. A non-profit organisation is now working on modifying the compounds to make them suitable for further testing.
The research appeared in the scientific journal Cell. MIT Professor James Collins, the paper's senior author, said,
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS):
Q: What are the main superbugs targeted by these new antibiotics?
A: The main superbugs targeted by these new antibiotics are drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
Q: How does AI help in the development of these new antibiotics?
A: AI helps by designing millions of possible compounds and computationally screening them for antimicrobial properties, allowing researchers to identify novel compounds that are structurally different from existing antibiotics.
Q: What is the estimated global impact of drug-resistant bacterial infections?
A: It is estimated that drug-resistant bacterial infections cause nearly five million deaths per year worldwide.
Q: What is the novel mechanism of action for these new antibiotics?
A: These new antibiotics work by disrupting the membranes of bacterial cells, which is a novel mechanism compared to existing antibiotics.
Q: What are the next steps for these new antibiotics?
A: The next steps include further testing and modification of the compounds to make them suitable for clinical trials and eventual use by doctors.
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