When antibiotics backfire: How a bacterial energy crisis fuels rapid resistance
Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage. A new study from Rutgers Health shows that ciprofloxacin, a staple treatment for urinary tract infections, throws Escherichia coli (E. coli) into an energy crisis that saves many cells from death and speeds the evolution of full-blown resistance.
Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage. A new study from Rutgers Health shows that ciprofloxacin, a staple treatment for urinary tract infections, throws Escherichia coli (E. coli) into an energy crisis that saves many cells from death and speeds the evolution of full-blown resistance.
