AI used to find powerful antibiotic that can kill drug-resistant bacteria

WASHINGTON – In a first, U.S. researchers have used artificial intelligence to identify a powerful new antibiotic capable of killing several drug-resistant bacteria. Antibiotics have been a cornerstone of modern medicine since the discovery of penicillin, but their effectiveness has seriously diminished in recent years as overuse has led to bacteria becoming resistant. The scientists at MIT and Harvard trained a machine-learning algorithm to analyze compounds capable of fighting infections using different mechanisms than those of existing drugs. Their findings were published in the journal Cell. "Our approach revealed this amazing molecule, which is arguably one of the more powerful antibiotics that has been discovered," said James Collins, a professor of medical engineering at MIT and one of the paper's senior authors.