Teixobactin_The new antibiotic

Teixobactin skeleton
 
 
The discovery of a new antibiotic called Teixobactin was announced by international team of researchers, in January this year. It is the most significant new antibiotic to be discovered in more than 30 years, and it may help combat the growing number of drug-resistant bacteria.
 
However, there are reasons why the discovery of this “game-changing” antibiotic is far more significant than the media has generally portrayed.
 
The first is because it was isolated from a bacterium that was previously unculturable. Bacterial chemistry and metabolism is so diverse, flexible and complex that their vital growth factors are often totally unknown. So, until now, it has been impossible to grow colonies of most of them in the lab for experimentation.
 
The startling situation is that microbiologists tell us that most bacteria – an estimated 99% – are currently regarded as unculturable. Thus this discovery opens the door, even if only a chink, to a vast new untapped resource for medicine, especially new antibiotics.  
 
 
For details, please read the complete story.
 
 

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