Neue Methode zur Entwicklung atomarer Antibiotika, die Bakterienresistenzen entgegenwirken

Scientists from Palacký University Olomouc (UP) and the Technical University of Ostrava (VSB-TUO), in collaboration with colleagues from China, have discovered a groundbreaking method for developing a new generation of antibiotics. These antibiotics not only combat a wide range of bacteria but also effectively prevent the development of bacterial resistance.

By employing atomic engineering, the researchers transformed manganese—a trace element vital for human health—into a potent antibiotic by embedding it in the structure of chemically modified graphene. Tests conducted on animal models have demonstrated the material’s significant potential, particularly in localized therapies such as wound healing. The discovery has been published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials, and the team has filed a European patent to safeguard their innovation.

*“The material we developed successfully kills and inhibits the growth of all bacteria we studied, including highly resistant pathogens. It operates at low concentrations, which are completely harmless to human cells. Furthermore, bacteria cannot develop resistance to it, thus addressing one of modern medicine’s most pressing challenges. These promising results position atomic antibiotics for practical use in the near future,*” said Radek Zbořil, a physical chemist and author of the research concept.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202410652

**Abstract:**

>The outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs”, poses a global public health hazard due to their resilience against the most effective last-line antibiotics. Identifying potent antibacterial agents capable of evading bacterial resistance mechanisms represents the ultimate defense strategy.

>This study shows that –the otherwise essential micronutrient– manganese turns into a broad-spectrum potent antibiotic when coordinated with a carboxylated nitrogen-doped graphene. This antibiotic material (termed NGA-Mn) not only inhibits the growth of a wide spectrum of multidrug-resistant bacteria but also heals wounds infected by bacteria in vivo and, most importantly, effectively evades bacterial resistance development.

>GA-Mn exhibits up to 25-fold higher cytocompatibility to human cells than its minimum bacterial inhibitory concentration, demonstrating its potential as a next-generation antibacterial agent. Experimental findings suggest that NGA-Mn acts on the outer side of the bacterial cell membrane via a multimolecular collective binding, blocking vital functions in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.

>The results underscore the potential of single-atom engineering toward potent antibiotics, offering simultaneously a long-sought solution for evading drug resistance development while being cytocompatible to human cells.