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Scientists from McMaster University and MIT employed AI to help uncover a new antibiotic that could effectively combat a dangerous hospital superbug.
;Acinetobacter baumannii, designated as a critical threat by the World Health Organization, belongs to a group of bacteria called priority pathogens, posing significant risks to human health.
- The bacteria has inherent resistance capabilities and can transfer genetic material, contributing to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
- It primarily impacts hospitals, endangering vulnerable patients, and is responsible for many drug-resistant infections.
- In their study, the researchers employed a machine learning model, which was trained to analyze for chemical compounds that could inhibit A. baumannii's growth.
- The algorithm screened through thousands of potential drug compounds, identifying some potential candidates in less than two hours.
- After testing, one antibiotic was found to be very potent at killing A. baumannii but did not affect other species of bacteria.
- If developed for patient use, it has the potential to effectively combat Acinetobacter baumannii.
- The findings were published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.
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