Plant toxin hailed as ‘new weapon’ in antibiotic war against bacteria

Scientists say albicidin has allowed them to take a giant step forward to creating a powerful new range of antibacterial drugs.

Scientists have discovered a plant toxin whose unique method of dispatching bacteria could be used to create a powerful new range of antibiotics. The prospect of developing new antibacterial drugs this way has been hailed by doctors, who have been warning for many years that the steady rise of multidrug-resistant pathogens such as E. coli now presents a dangerous threat to healthcare across the planet.