In this enlightening episode, we're joined by Dr. Santos, a scientist at the forefront of finding innovative solutions to the global health crisis posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. He shares his fascinating research on the use of visible light-activated synthetic molecular machines (MMs) as a unique and effective antibacterial therapy.

Dr. Santos's work shows that these MMs can kill a broad range of bacteria, including the notorious methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, in mere minutes. This represents a significantly quicker action than conventional antibiotics. We delve into how these MMs operate, including their ability to disrupt bacterial membranes physically and enhance the effect of conventional antibiotics when used at sublethal doses.

In this conversation, we discuss the impressive fact that no resistance development was observed even after repeated exposure to these MMs. Dr. Santos also explains how therapeutic doses of MMs have significantly reduced mortality in an in vivo burn wound infection model.

This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the latest innovative approaches to tackling the ever-growing issue of antibiotic resistance. Join us as we shed light on this groundbreaking research and its implications for global healthcare.

Keywords: Antibiotic Resistance, Bacteria, Molecular Machines, Light-Activated Therapy, Dr. Santos, Global Health Crisis, Antibacterial Therapy.

https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm2055 Light-activated molecular machines are fast-acting broad-spectrum antibacterials that target the membrane