• Question: Current antibiotics are rapidly becoming useless as more and more pathogens become resistant. Where do you think scientists should look to in order to find new antibiotics?

    Asked by Thomas B to Ceri, Marikka, Matt, Rob, Sally on 10 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Robert Hampson

      Robert Hampson answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      There are several changes to make. Currently, fragments of man-made molecules are tested to see if they kill panels of bacteria. These fragments are then combined in different ways and again tested to see if they kill groups of bacteria.

      I think we should try searching through compounds which are already available in nature. Antibiotics are actually quite common in the natural world, we could find a useful one by searching through these natural compounds. Also, natural compound are often more likely to have an effect and be recognised by other natural systems, sometimes man made molecules just are not easily recognisable by natural systems.

      Also we should look to different strategies. Previously we have sought to find small molecules which kill bacteria. We could seek molecules which prevent the bacteria causing disease (this strategy is also less likely to cause resistance). Secondly, we are also beginning to use larger molecules like antibodies and enzymes as drugs. Larger molecules may be more effective in some situations as their size can allow them to interact more with the target.

    • Photo: Sally Cutler

      Sally Cutler answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Hi Thomas,
      I understand your concern and this is shared by many. Few new antibiotics have appeared over recent years and as you state, resistance levels are becoming more common. We did not use our antibiotics very wisely giving them to many who did not actually need them, so one way is to control their use to prolong the life of those antibiotics we do have. Indeed in Europe antibiotics are no longer used to promote quick growth in food producing antimals. Afraid much of this is a little too late though, and some countries still use antibiotics like this, whilst in others you can buy anything over the counter of a shop. There was promising work on phage therapy that is now being re-investigated and herbal treatments are now again in the spotlight. Others are looking at silver and other inhibitory metals to include into paint in hospitals. Nanoparticles are also showing some promise. The big issue is how to used things properly to avoid a repeat of the misuse of antibiotics.

    • Photo: Ceri Dare

      Ceri Dare answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Well, in the past a lot of antibiotics have come from organisms which lived in the soil – scientists used to bring back soil whenever they went on holiday, to test it!

      The other scientists probably know more than me about developing new antibiotics, I work on how to get existing antibiotics to work better and last longer. This is important because if we do develop new antibiotics, they will be super expensive at first, so people in poor countries or poor people in rich countries won’t be able to afford them.

      If a hospital keeps changing the sort of antibiotics it uses round in clever ways, then we can avoid resistance getting worse, and the bacteria tend to lose resistance over time because it is hard work for them to be antibiotic resistant.

    • Photo: Marikka Beecroft

      Marikka Beecroft answered on 11 Nov 2014:

      They’re are so many places to look and so many paths you can take with this antibiotic developments. I knew a couple of people who were looking for antibiotics in the stomachs of cows! I know of people who look at soil , deep sea vents, hot springs and plants for new antibiotics. In my department potential antibiotics are tested out, but are all man made by chemists in a lab! I think though the best way is to find antibiotics in whatever place we can and try to reduce resistance in the ones we already have because that way we have the best chance of getting rid of superbugs like MRSA.

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