New study reveals new means of preventing antibiotic resistance

Scientists have made a crucial discovery about the way the deadly Staphyloccocus aureus bacteria is able to communicate antibiotic resistance from one organism to another.

A team from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill has conducted analysis of the Nicking Enzyme in Staphyloccoccus (NES), a molecule that interacts with the plasmids used to transfer antibiotic-resistance genes between bacteria.

They were able to precisely identify the exact area in which this connection takes place, allowing them to design a small synthetic molecule that can block this groove and prevent the genes from spreading.

Matthew Redinbo, professor of chemistry at UNC's college of arts and sciences, said: "This is really exciting for us. It opens the door for potentially stopping the spread of antibiotic resistance – and that's exactly what we need in this post-antibiotic era."

This could prove crucial in the ongoing global fight against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, which is commonly known as MRSA and is one of the world's leading causes of hospital-acquired infections.