New antibiotic may prevent superbugs from developing resistance

Scientists may have discovered a new type of antibiotic that could prove highly effective against bacteria such as MRSA, which are resistant to many existing antibiotics. The antibiotic, known as clovibactin, was found in a bacterium found in sandy soil in North Carolina. Researchers have been studying how clovibactin works and report that it kills bacteria in an unusual way that makes it highly unlikely for resistance to evolve. Markus Weingarth at Utrecht University in the Netherlands has been leading the research and he says that the antibiotic's activity is even better than that of current gold-standard antibiotics. The discovery of clovibactin may provide a solution to the growing issue of antibiotic resistance, which is an increasingly serious threat to public health. Antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria evolve to become resistant to existing antibiotics, making it more difficult to treat bacterial infections. This new discovery could prove to be a much-needed breakthrough in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.