Machine learning helps in the search for new antibiotics

With the search for new antibiotics becoming increasingly urgent, artificial intelligence offers valuable help. Smart software developed by Leiden PhD candidate Alexander Kloosterman searched genomes of bacteria and found clusters of DNA that code for proteins that have an antibiotic effect. "This new search method is enormously promising." The discovery was published in PLoS Biology. Professor of Molecular Biotechnology Gilles van Wezel from the Leiden Institute of Biology (IBL) initiated the research together with visiting professor Marnix Medema.