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USA, August 18 - Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that some of the oldest forms of life on Earth—microbes known as archaea—offer a new weapon in the fight against one of the most urgent health threats today: antibiotic resistance, according to the institution’s website.
Archaea, a diverse group of unicellular microorganisms, have survived for billions of years in boiling acids, deep-sea vents, and salt flats.
The scientists employed artificial intelligence to identify previously unknown compounds in these microorganisms that could facilitate the development of next-generation antibiotics, as detailed in their study published in Nature Microbiology.
According to César de la Fuente, the lead author of the research, previous efforts to find new antibiotics have primarily focused on fungi, bacteria, and animals. De la Fuente’s lab had earlier used AI to identify antibiotic candidates from various sources, including the DNA of extinct organisms and chemicals found in animal venoms.
Now, the scientist’s team has applied AI models to a new dataset: the proteins from hundreds of ancient microbes. "There is an entirely new realm of life to explore,” he emphasized.
Why Archaea?
Although they resemble bacteria under the microscope, archaea fundamentally differ in their genetics, cell membranes, and biochemistry from bacteria and eukaryotic organisms (which include plants, animals, and fungi).
Since archaea often thrive in environments that few organisms can withstand—extreme pressures, toxic chemicals, and high temperatures—their biology has evolved in unusual ways.
This makes them a promising yet largely untapped source of new molecular tools, including compounds that may function as antibiotics but operate differently from currently used ones.
What Did AI Discover?
The researchers used an artificial intelligence tool called APEX, developed in De la Fuente’s lab, to identify antibiotic candidates from ancient biology.
With this AI system, the scientists analyzed the antibacterial properties of archaeosins, proteins present in the cells of 233 varieties of these microbes.
The calculations revealed that over 12,000 of the studied peptides (short chains of amino acids, serving as building blocks of proteins) could potentially inhibit the activity of critical cellular systems and enzymes in pathogens.
The researchers then selected 80 archaeosins for testing against actual bacteria.
Of these 80 candidates, 93% exhibited activity against at least one type of bacteria, while the effect of one of these compounds was comparable to that of polymyxin B, a commonly used last-resort antibiotic for drug-resistant infections.
“The research demonstrates that there are potentially many antibiotics yet to be discovered in archaea,” de la Fuente highlighted.
“As more bacteria develop resistance to existing antibiotics, it is crucial to find new antibiotics in unconventional places to replace them,” he concluded. (Text and Photo: Cubasí)
