Superbugs that are resistant to existing antibiotics are a growing health problem around the world. Globally, nearly five million people die from antimicrobial resistant infections each year. The annual toll of antimicrobial resistant infections is expected to rise by 70%, with an estimated 40 million deaths between now and 2050. To address this, researchers must discover new antibiotics and agents that improve the efficacy of existing antibiotics. Hope may come from a surprising source: oysters. In new research published today in PLOS ONE, we show that antimicrobial proteins isolated from oyster hemolymph (the equivalent of blood) can kill certain bacteria…
Author: Kate Summer, Postdoctoral research fellow, Southern Cross University
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