Scientists create new antibiotics by editing genes. It will save millions of lives

Researchers at the University of Manchester have discovered a new way to manipulate key enzymes.

bacteria that will pave the way for a new generation of antibiotics. New research published inNature Communications, describes how gene editing techniqueCRISPR-Cas9 can be used to create new non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) enzymes that deliver clinically important antibiotics. 

Microorganisms in our environment suchas soil bacteria, have developed NRPS, which assemble building blocks (amino acids) into peptide products. They often have strong antibiotic activity. Many of the therapeutically important antibiotics used in the clinic today are derived from these NRPS enzymes - for example, penicillin, vancomycin, and daptomycin.

The problem is that non-ribosomal peptideAntibiotics are very complex structures. Producing them using conventional chemical methods is expensive and difficult. To solve this problem, a team from the University of Manchester is using gene editing to create NRPS enzymes by swapping domains that recognize different amino acid building blocks. This leads to the emergence of special "assembly lines" that can deliver new peptide products.

Antimicrobial resistant infectionsThe drugs are estimated to cause 700,000 deaths each year worldwide. This number is projected to rise to 10 million by 2050, costing the global economy $ 100 trillion.

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