Sunday, August 31, 2025
Science
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag
No Result
View All Result
Home Science News Technology and Engineering

Unlocking the world around us for next-gen antibiotics

June 5, 2024
in Technology and Engineering
Reading Time: 3 mins read
0
Luis Pedro Coelho
66
SHARES
600
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
ADVERTISEMENT

An international research team has found almost a million potential sources of antibiotics in the natural world.

Luis Pedro Coelho

Credit: QUT

An international research team has found almost a million potential sources of antibiotics in the natural world.

Research published in the journal Cell by a team including Queensland University of Technology (QUT) computational biologist Associate Professor Luis Pedro Coelho has used machine learning to identify 863,498 promising antimicrobial peptides – small molecules that can kill or inhibit the growth of infectious microbes.

The findings of the study come with a renewed global focus on combatting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as humanity contends with the growing number of superbugs resistant to current drugs.

“There is an urgent need for new methods for antibiotic discovery,” Professor Coelho, a researcher at the QUT Centre for Microbiome Research, said. The centre studies the structure and function of microbial communities from around the globe.

“It is one of the top public health threats, killing 1.27 million people each year.”

Without intervention, it is estimated that AMR could cause up to 10 million deaths per year by 2050.

“Using artificial intelligence to understand and harness the power of the global microbiome will hopefully drive innovative research for better public health outcomes,” he said.

The team verified the machine predictions by testing 100 laboratory-made peptides against clinically significant pathogens. They found 79 disrupted bacterial membranes and 63 specifically targeted antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

“Moreover, some peptides helped to eliminate infections in mice; two in particular reduced bacteria by up to four orders of magnitude,” Professor Coelho said.

In a preclinical model, tested on infected mice, treatment with these peptides produced results similar to the effects of polymyxin B – a commercially available antibiotic which is used to treat meningitis, pneumonia, sepsis and urinary tract infections.

More than 60,000 metagenomes (a collection of genomes within a specific environment), which together contained the genetic makeup of over one million organisms, were analysed to get these results. They came from sources across the globe including marine and soil environments, and human and animal guts.

The resulting AMPSphere – a comprehensive database comprising these novel peptides – has been published as a publicly available, open-access resource for new antibiotic discovery. 

Professor Coelho’s research was conducted as part of his ARC Future Fellowship through the QUT School of Biomedical Science, in collaboration with the Cesar de la Fuente laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania, Fudan University, the European Molecular Biology Laboratory and APC Microbiome Ireland.



Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2024.05.013

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Discovery of antimicrobial peptides in the global microbiome with machine learning

Article Publication Date

5-Jun-2024

COI Statement

C.d.l.F.-N. provides consulting services to Invaio Sciences and is a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of Nowture S.L. and Phare Bio. The de la Fuente Lab has received research funding or in-kind donations from United Therapeutics, Strata Manufacturing PJSC, and Procter & Gamble, none of which were used in support of this work. An invention disclosure associated with this work has been submitted.

Share26Tweet17
Previous Post

Cannabis use common among patients, with most using it to manage a symptom or health condition

Next Post

Confronting climate change: the genetic makeover of a threatened conifer

Related Posts

blank
Technology and Engineering

Exploring Cutting-Edge Techniques for Leaf Disease Detection

August 30, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Enhancing Archery Arrow Selection: Importance of Stiffness

August 30, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Transforming Office Waste into Sustainable Cellulose

August 30, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Two-Vehicle Communication Boosts Autonomous Traffic Sixfold

August 30, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Hybrid PSO-Firefly Optimization for Feature Selection

August 30, 2025
blank
Technology and Engineering

Opuntia Ficus Indica: Health Benefits and Protective Properties

August 30, 2025
Next Post
Habit, genomic landscape, geographic sampling, and phylogeny for Cupressus 106 gigantea.

Confronting climate change: the genetic makeover of a threatened conifer

  • Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    Mothers who receive childcare support from maternal grandparents show more parental warmth, finds NTU Singapore study

    27542 shares
    Share 11014 Tweet 6884
  • University of Seville Breaks 120-Year-Old Mystery, Revises a Key Einstein Concept

    955 shares
    Share 382 Tweet 239
  • Bee body mass, pathogens and local climate influence heat tolerance

    642 shares
    Share 257 Tweet 161
  • Researchers record first-ever images and data of a shark experiencing a boat strike

    509 shares
    Share 204 Tweet 127
  • Warm seawater speeding up melting of ‘Doomsday Glacier,’ scientists warn

    313 shares
    Share 125 Tweet 78
Science

Embark on a thrilling journey of discovery with Scienmag.com—your ultimate source for cutting-edge breakthroughs. Immerse yourself in a world where curiosity knows no limits and tomorrow’s possibilities become today’s reality!

RECENT NEWS

  • Impact of Center Volume on Transplant Outcomes Weekend Holidays
  • Remnant Cholesterol Linked to Diabetes Risk Factors
  • Assessing Employer-Preferred Skills for Biomedical Engineers
  • School Mental Health Visits and Medications During COVID-19

Categories

  • Agriculture
  • Anthropology
  • Archaeology
  • Athmospheric
  • Biology
  • Blog
  • Bussines
  • Cancer
  • Chemistry
  • Climate
  • Earth Science
  • Marine
  • Mathematics
  • Medicine
  • Pediatry
  • Policy
  • Psychology & Psychiatry
  • Science Education
  • Social Science
  • Space
  • Technology and Engineering

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 5,182 other subscribers

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • HOME
  • SCIENCE NEWS
  • CONTACT US

© 2025 Scienmag - Science Magazine

Discover more from Science

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading