How a common antibiotic fuels bacterial resistance

Scientists in race to fight drug resistance

What happens if antibiotics stop working? The scientific world describes this threat to global health as antimicrobial resistance, or AMR. One study warns more than 39 million people could die by 2050 unless further measures are taken. 　 Scientists from Japan and the United Kingdom have teamed up in the race to find a solution.

How a common antibiotic fuels bacterial resistance

A new Rutgers Health study reveals a surprising twist in the antibiotic resistance story: instead of simply killing bacteria, drugs like ciprofloxacin can actually trigger a kind of microbial survival mode. By crashing the bacteria's energy levels, the antibiotic causes E. coli to ramp up its metabolism, survive attacks, and mutate faster ultimately accelerating the evolution of drug resistance.

Antibiotic misuse still high in Greece, study warns

Antibiotic consumption remains high in Greece, complicating efforts to combat infections from antibiotic-resistant bacteria, according to a new study by Kapa Research for the Athens Medical Association.

Antibiotics May Help Bacteria Accelerate Treatment Resistance

While antibiotics are designed to kill bacteria, new research now shows they can also provide bacteria with an unexpected advantage. In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at Rutgers Health show that ciprofloxacin, an antibiotic commonly used to treat urinary tract infections, induces a metabolic state in Escherichia coli (E. coli) that increases both survival and speeds the evolution of antibiotic resistance. “Antibiotics ca…

Rutgers Health research identifies new trigger accelerating antibiotic resistance - Scientific Inquirer

Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage. A new study from Rutgers Health shows that ciprofloxacin, a staple treatment for urinary tract infections, throws Escherichia coli (E. coli) into an energy crisis that saves many cells from death and speeds the evolution of full‑blown resistance. “Antibiotics can actually change bacterial metabolism,” said Barry Li, a student at Rutg…

The Role of Metabolism in Bacterial Survival and Resistance

Ciprofloxacin induces bioenergetic stress in E. coli, boosting survival rates and resistance development. Metabolic shifts challenge antibiotic effectiveness.