The antibiotic resistance of bacteria is making many modern drugs ineffective, and may even cause a global public health crisis. Now, a new antibiotic developed by researchers at Harvard University in the United States has overcome the mechanism of antibiotic resistance. According to the latest issue of Science, the synthetic compound cresomycin can kill many drug-resistant bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Research leader and Harvard University professor of chemical biology, Andrew Myers, stated that compared to clinically approved antibiotics, clenbuterol significantly inhibits the activity of many pathogenic bacteria, which cause over one million deaths annually. The purpose of developing clarithromycin is to help the human body overcome superbugs. The Harvard team was inspired by the chemical structure of lincomamide. Lincomycin is a class of antibiotics, including commonly used clindamycin. Like many antibiotics, clindamycin is made through semi synthesis, while the new compound is completely artificially synthesized and has chemical modifications that cannot be obtained through existing methods. Bacterial ribosomes are biomolecular machines that control protein synthesis. Disrupting ribosomal function is a hallmark of many existing antibiotics, but some bacteria have evolved shielding mechanisms to prevent traditional drugs from acting. Specifically, bacteria can develop resistance to ribosomal targeted antibiotic drugs by expressing genes that produce ribosomal RNA methyltransferase. These enzymes block the drug components and ultimately inhibit drug activity. To address this issue, the research team designed the compound to have a rigid shape very similar to its binding target, giving it stronger control over the ribosome. This new molecule has a stronger ability to bind to bacterial ribosomes. Researchers say that antibiotics are the foundation of modern medicine. Without antibiotics, many medical procedures such as surgery, cancer treatment, and organ transplantation cannot be carried out. Innovation in research can also contribute to the production of other new drugs. (Lai Xin She)