Activating the hidden pharmaceutical potential of bacteria

Researchers develop a new genetic method for the production of new active ingredients in bacteria

17-Dec-2024 - Microorganisms produce a wide variety of natural products that can be used as active ingredients to treat diseases such as infections or cancer. The blueprints for these molecules can be found in the microbes' genes, but often remain inactive under laboratory conditions. A team of researchers at ...

Searching for the microbial treasure

New family of bacteria with high pharmaceutical potential discovered

17-May-2024 - Most antibiotics used in human medicine originate from natural products derived from bacteria and other microbes. Novel microorganisms are therefore a promising source of new active compounds - also for the treatment of diseases such as cancer or viral infections. A team from the Helmholtz ...

Antimicrobial agents of the future

Researchers conducted the first systematic study of CRISPR-based antibiotics in Klebsiella pneumoniae

29-Apr-2024 - The antimicrobial potential of CRISPR-Cas systems is promising, yet how to best design or implement CRISPR nucleases remains poorly understood. An international team led by the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI) in Würzburg has now addressed this knowledge gap. The ...

Evotec and Helmholtz Centre joining platforms and forces for novel antibiotics

21-Feb-2019 - Evotec AG and the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (“HZI”) announced a collaboration with the goal to address a major global health threat by developing novel antibiotics that overcome drug-resistant bacterial pathogens. Research activities will initially be focused on the optimisation of ...

Researchers discover Achilles' heel of bacteria

07-Aug-2017 - Salmonellae are particularly resistant to antibiotics since they possess not only one, but two membranes that protect them from harmful substances. This makes them members of the so-called Gram-negative bacteria. Since Salmonella infections are becoming increasingly difficult to treat with ...