Scientists Target Tiny 'Molecular Machine' to Fight Superbugs
In the global fight against antimicrobial resistance, scientists have taken aim at a crucial bacterial structure, and their findings could lead to a new class of life-saving antibiotics.
Researchers at King’s College London have mapped, in unprecedented detail, the workings of a molecular machine inside bacteria that plays a key role in building their outer membrane. This structure, known as the BAM complex, helps bacteria fold and insert proteins into their protective outer layer, a vital process for their survival and resistance.
By using cryo-electron microscopy, the team has revealed the three-dimensional architecture of this machine with atomic-level precision, offering an extraordinary view of its moving parts and potential weak spots.
“It’s like discovering the blueprint of a fortress we’re trying to break into,” said lead researcher Dr. Charlotte Dodson. “This gives us a realistic target to design drugs that can shut the whole system down.”
The discovery is a major breakthrough, as many drug-resistant bacteria, particularly Gram-negative pathogens, rely on the BAM complex. These microbes are notoriously difficult to treat, protected by double membranes that current antibiotics struggle to penetrate.
What makes this research stand out is that it provides a concrete molecular target that doesn’t just kill bacteria indiscriminately, but disarms their defenses in a highly specific way. That precision could help preserve beneficial microbes while neutralizing the dangerous ones, a vital shift in antibiotic design.
With antimicrobial resistance now considered a top global health threat, causing an estimated 1.27 million deaths annually, the pressure is on to find novel therapies. This research offers a roadmap for doing just that, potentially leading to next-generation antibiotics that bypass traditional resistance mechanisms.
While drug development based on these insights is still in early stages, the team is optimistic that targeting the BAM complex could become a cornerstone strategy in a post-antibiotic world.
If successful, this microscopic “machine” could hold the key to turning the tide in one of medicine’s most urgent battles.