Question

Given the wide-spread concerns about antibiotic resistance, the development of new antibiotics is highly important. Describe an example illustrating research advance (at least one)

toward the goal or your thoughts and ideas in identifying new targets to achieve the goal.

Answer 1

Antibiotic Resistance is the resistance developed by a group of bacteria when they are exposed to an antibiotic for prolonged period of time. Over this time, bacteria develop processes (by gene mutation) to evade antibiotic action against it. Thus antibiotic resistance is becoming an increasing issue of concern because resistant bacteria have been found against virtually all the antibiotics developed.

This puts the need for developing new and new antibiotics. People are working on antibiotics directed against novel processes of the bacterial cell. Recombinant DNA technology is highly used to design antibiotics of a novel mode of action. Moreover, the newly developed antibiotics are allowed for very restricted use.

Another treatment that is currently a topic of research is phage treatment. Bacteriophages are viral entities that infect bacterial cells and kill them via lysis. Being biological, phages hold the capability to evolve along with bacteria, thus leaving a little window for resistance development.