Antibiotic-resistant genes discovered
30 Nov 2017 by Evoluted New Media
Researchers have discovered previously unknown genes that make bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics.
Researchers have discovered previously unknown genes that make bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics.
After analysis of large volumes of DNA data, the scientists at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden found 76 new types of resistance genes. Several genes were discovered to have the ability to degrade carbapenems, the most powerful class of antibiotics used to treat multi-resistant bacteria.
Professor Erik Kristiansson, principal investigator of the study at the University, said: “Our study shows that there are lots of unknown resistance genes. Knowledge about these genes makes it possible to more effectively find and hopefully tackle new forms of multi-resistant bacteria. Resistance genes are often very rare, and a lot of DNA data needs to be examined before a new gene can be found.”
As identifying unknown antibiotic-resistant genes is a difficult task, the scientists developed new computational methods to find patterns in DNA associated with antibiotic resistance. The genes were then tested in the laboratory to prove that the predictions were correct.
Professor Joakim Larsson, the University of Gothenburg and study co-author, said: “The more we know about how bacteria can defend themselves against antibiotics, the better are our odds for developing effective, new drugs.”
The study was published in Microbiome.
