Defeating Antibiotic Resistance

Abstract

The misuse of antibiotics have led to one of the largest health care crises that we face today. Scientist such as Losee L. Ling, Tonja Scneider, and colleagues are working to find a solution to this scare. In order to find a solution, knowledge on why antibiotics are becoming resistant is crucial. The scientists conducting this experiment have studied the mechanisms of action of the antibiotics and how bacteria become resistant to them. A recent breakthrough of the synthetic antibiotic, known as Teixobactin, has shown great success and is unlikely to experience resistance. Teixobactin inhibits cell wall synthesis by targeting lipid II and lipid III in Gram-positive bacteria but has also shown success in targeting an unknown area in Gram-negative bacteria.