The crystallographers of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, together with experts from the University of Virginia and the National Cancer Institute in the USA, are dealing with one of the most current problems in medicine, related to the antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria.

The widespread use of antibiotics in humans and animals has led to acquiring by dangerous bacteria the ability to break down any antibiotics, including antibiotics from the last batch of β-lactams, chemically similar to penicillin. The degradation of these drugs is due to enzymes called metallo-β-lactamases.

The current world situation associated with antibiotic resistance is very bad. Fewer and fewer antibiotics can act and many infections can become fatal. To solve this problem, researchers from UAM are looking for a molecule, a chemical agent that could block metal-β-lactamase and restore the power of antibiotics.