A powerful class of antibiotics called carbapenems can circumvent antibiotic resistance thanks to a particular chain of atoms in their structure. Now, a team of researchers from Penn State and Johns Hopkins University have imaged an enzyme involved in the creation of this chain to better understand how it forms — and perhaps replicate the process to improve future antibiotics. A paper describing the process appears Feb. 2 in the journal Nature.
Carbapenems are naturally occurring potent, broad-spectrum antibiotics that belong to a larger group called beta-lactam antibiotics that also includes penicillin. Carbapenems are often used as a last resort to treat bacterial infections, including hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated bacterial pneumonia — an increasing problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain carbapenems have a side chain that includes two or three methyl groups…
