Resurrected 160-million-year-old proteins fight antibiotic-resistant bacteria

University of Oregon biologists have resurrected prehistoric proteins up to 160 million years old with natural antimicrobial properties, potentially inspiring new treatments for antibiotic-resistant infections. The findings were published in PLOS Biology on Aug. 25. The researchers reconstructed peptides from ancestral placental mammals and tested them against drug-resistant bacteria. Some extinct peptides outperformed modern versions, with a single amino acid mutation enhancing potency. The work aims to address the growing global crisis of antibiotic resistance. The team cautions that new drugs are unlikely to emerge immediately, as the peptides are less stable than conventional antibiotics. However, understanding how these molecules evolved could help design combination treatments that pathogens cannot easily resist.