New shape-shifting antibiotics could fight deadly infections responsible for more than 1.2 million deaths worldwide every year, according to a new study. Essential and effective antibiotics have been overused - leading to some bacteria and fungi developing resistance, say scientists.
The issue is so severe the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ranked antibiotic resistance as a top 10 global public health threat. To combat this, scientists developed an antibiotic that can shape-shift by rearranging its atoms, using new “click” chemistry that won the 2022 Nobel Prize.
The drug’s creator, Professor John Moses at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), New York, was inspired by tanks in military training exercises with rotating turrets and nimble movements allowing them to react quickly to potential threats. Years later, Professor Moses discovered a bullvalene, a fluxional molecule where atoms can swap positions.
