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 ...