In soil-dwelling bacteria, scientists find a new weapon to fight drug-resistant superbugs

Extracted from unknown microorganisms living in soil, it kills several superbugs – including the dreaded MRSA – without engendering resistance.

In a report published this week in the journal Nature Microbiology, researchers describe a never-before-seen antibiotic agent that vanquished several strains of multi-drug-resistant bacteria. In rats, the agent — which the researchers dubbed "malacidin" — attacked and broke down the cell walls of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and cleared the animals’ MRSA skin infections within a day.