Gut bacteria use super-polymers to dodge antibiotics

Gut bacteria exchanging antibiotic resistance genes through the hyper-resistant F-pili - Gut bacteria exchange drug-resistant DNA and form infectious biofilms more easily than expected. The discovery shows why it can be so difficult to tackle drug-resistant bacteria, but does provide a possible avenue for tackling the problem. The super-polymer structures the bacteria use to transfer genes could also be exploited for precise drug delivery in future medicine. The death toll from antimicrobial resistance is expected to match cancer by 2050, meaning we urgently need new strategies to combat this trend. Jonasz Patkowski - Gut bacteria form extracellular appendages called F-pili to connect to each other and transfer packets of DNA, called genes, that allow them to resist antibiotics. It was thought that the harsh conditions inside human and animal guts, including turbulence, heat, and acids, would break the F-pili, making transfer more difficult. However, new research by a team led by Imperial College London researchers has shown that the F-pili are actually stronger in these conditions, helping the bacteria transfer resistance genes more efficiently, and to clump into 'biofilms' - protective bacterial consortia - that help them fend off antibiotics.