Keeping wounds clean and infection free has challenged people for thousands of years.
Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii is classified as a priority 1 critical pathogen by the World Health Organization.
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Up to 20% of Australians admitted in hospital say they have a penicillin allergy. But not everyone who thinks they’re allergic to penicillin actually is.
Antibiotics have been around for less than a century. But as resistant bacteria become increasingly difficult to treat, we risk a greater number of deaths from infections.
Around 90% of people who have been incorrectly told by their doctor that they are allergic to penicillin.
Gain-of-function experiments in the lab can help researchers get ahead of viruses naturally gaining the ability to infect people in the wild.
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From cancer immunotherapy and antibiotics to GMO crops and pandemic surveillance, gain of function is a cornerstone of basic research.
In the HBO series ‘The Last of Us,’ the parasitic fungus cordyeps mutates, and jumps from insects to humans and quickly spreads around the world, rendering its victims helpless to control their thoughts and actions.
(HBO)
While ‘The Last of Us’ is a dramatic projection of a deadly fungal outbreak, it is based, if not in reality, in logic. And it’s a reminder that fungal infections are growing more resistant.
Artificial intelligence can be used to develop new drugs, quickly and cheaply.
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Bacterial infections are a growing global challenge. This is due to antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and researchers are turning to AI to develop new drugs.
With the dual threats of antibiotic resistance and emerging pandemics, finding new drugs becomes even more urgent. A trove of medicines may be lying under our nose.
Penicillin ushered in the antibiotics revolution, with amazing results during war and peace.
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Bill Sullivan, Indiana University School of Medicine
Albert Alexander was the first known person treated with penicillin. While his ultimately fatal case is well known in medical histories, the cause of his illness has been misattributed for decades.
Siouxsie Wiles, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau
Penicillin originally came from a fungus, and with thousands of fungi to explore, Aotearoa New Zealand has a potential treasure trove of bacteria-killing compounds.
Alexander Fleming’s work has helped countless people over the last nine decades.
Bacteria in the dish on the left are sensitive to antibiotics in the paper discs. The ones on the right are resistant to four of the seven antibiotics.
Dr. Graham Beards
Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Emory University and Adjunct Professor Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Pittsburgh