The discovery of antibiotics in 1928 was a major turning point in the history of medicine. For the first time since the dawn of human civilization, doctors had gained access to an extremely powerful and effective tool to fight against a wide variety of bacterial infections. Today, bacterial diseases that were previously a death sentence can be cured, and infections following surgery or chemotherapy can be prevented or treated more effectively.
Unfortunately, the worldwide use (and abuse) of antibiotics led to the emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains. Over time, bacteria that could normally be killed by a given antibiotic produced mutant offspring immune to it. These mutant strains are a major threat to public health, and the only safe course of action is to develop new antibiotic compounds.
Against this backdrop, a research team including Professor Isamu Shiina, Assistant…
