
US and Spanish researchers have discovered at least some bacteria pay a steep price for their resistance – a cost that we may be able to exploit to fight infection. "We discovered an Achilles heel of antibiotic-resistant bacteria," says molecular biologist Gürol Süel from the University of California, San Diego. "We can take advantage of this cost to suppress the establishment of antibiotic resistance without drugs or harmful chemicals." Exploring why bacteria with resistance factors don't necessarily dominate their non-resistant relatives, University of California, San Diego scientists discovered an example of protection that comes at a cost, impeding the bacteria's ability to survive when levels of magnesium are low. Depriving environments of magnesium could counter the bacteria's ability to thrive. And because unmutated strains don't share the same flaw, reducing the key nutrient shouldn't adversely impact bacteria needed for a healthy microbiome. "We hope that our work can help identify conditions that hinder antibiotic-resistant strains without requiring development of new antibiotics," Moon and team conclude.
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