MIT Develops New Antibiotic

Cambridge, Mass -- Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists have developed a new type of antibiotic derived from soil-dwelling bacteria.

The researchers said the new antibiotic holds promise for treatment of Helicobacter pylori, which causes stomach ulcers in humans. The new antibiotic was produced by a "battle for survival," in which one bacterium was pitted against another strain for dominance.

The researchers said determining the still murky explanation for exactly how the new antibiotic -- named rhodostreptomycin -- was created might help scientists develop strategies for finding other new antibiotics.

The study that involved MIT Professors Anthony Sinskey and ChoKyun Rha; researchers Philip Lessard, T.G. Sambandan and Kazuhiko Kurosawa; and University of Florida scientists Ion Ghiviriga and Joanna Barbara is reported in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International.