New Antibiotic for Drug-Resistant Bacteria Found Hiding in Plain Sight
By Health Correspondent
Chemists from the University of Warwick and Monash University have discovered a promising new antibiotic that works against drug-resistant bacteria, including MRSA and VRE.
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the biggest global health threats, with too few new antibiotics being developed, according to the World Health Organization. Because most easy discoveries have already been made and financial incentives are low, progress has slowed — but this new find offers fresh hope.
In a study published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), researchers from the Monash Warwick Alliance Combatting Emerging Superbug Threats Initiative identified a new compound called pre-methylenomycin C lactone.
Surprisingly, it was “hiding in plain sight” as a chemical intermediate in the process that creates the known antibiotic methylenomycin A.
Professor Greg Challis (University of Warwick and Monash University) explained:
“Methylenomycin A was discovered 50 years ago, but no one had tested its synthetic intermediates for antimicrobial activity. By deleting certain genes, we uncovered two new intermediates — both much stronger antibiotics than methylenomycin A itself.”
When tested, pre-methylenomycin C lactone proved over 100 times more effective against Gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus faecium (VRE).
Dr. Lona Alkhalaf (University of Warwick) added:
“It’s amazing to find a new antibiotic in Streptomyces coelicolor, a species that’s been studied since the 1950s. It seems this bacterium originally evolved to make a strong antibiotic, but over time it shifted to producing a weaker one.”
Importantly, no resistance to pre-methylenomycin C lactone appeared in Enterococcus bacteria under conditions where vancomycin resistance usually develops — a key result since vancomycin is a “last line” drug.
Professor Challis said this discovery points to a new approach in antibiotic discovery — by testing natural intermediates rather than only final products.
The next step will be pre-clinical testing. In a related paper in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, Professor David Lupton (Monash University) and colleagues described a scalable method for making pre-methylenomycin C lactone, allowing scientists to explore how it works and how it might be improved.
With its simple structure, strong potency, and low resistance potential, this new compound could become a valuable weapon against AMR, which kills an estimated 1.1 million people each year.
If you have a positive story or uplifting news to share, we’d love to hear from you!
Just email us at news@goodnewspost.co.uk.
Whether it's a local hero, an act of kindness, or a personal win, your story could help spread joy and improve someone’s mental health. Let’s make the world a little brighter, one good news story at a time.
And don’t forget—you can sign up for free to get the latest feel-good stories straight to your inbox!
