A resistance gene contains the information for the production of a protein that makes an antibiotic ineffective and hence confers resistance against an antibiotic to a pathogen.
Detailed description
Resistance genes are usually found on a ring-shaped piece of DNA, the plasmid. Like this, they can easily be passed on from one bacterium to another. Plants can possess resistance genes as well. They are usually directed against herbicides and pests.
The global increase of tuberculosis patients is alarming, particularly the increase of cases of so-called multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in which the pathogen is insensitive to the most
Scientists at the Institute of Tropical Medicine of the University of Tübingen, the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), and of Sanaria Inc. have developed an infection system that allows
An artificially produced inhibitor curbs Ebola virus replication and could be used to develop drugs for life-threatening Ebola virus epidemics. An European team of scientists bases this hope on
An international tuberculosis consortium—including the Research Center Borstel—has succeeded in developing a standardised and internationally recognised method that is able to better predict in
Antibiotic resistant bacteria lead to infections that are difficult to treat, particularly in hospitals. Multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli bacteria which have developed special enzymes that render
Chronic lung infections caused by the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa require complex and, in most cases, long-term treatment with antibiotics. It is generally not possible to completely heal the
The spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria is cause for concern–and no longer constitutes a problem that only hospitals face. In the current issue of Science, DZIF scientists from the University of
Colistin is used as the “last-resort antibiotic” for dreaded multidrug-resistant pathogens, especially in hospitals. However, gut bacteria that have become insensitive to colistin now exist—owing to
Drugs against malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and other infectious diseases are still urgently needed in poorer countries. According to World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, almost 430,000 people died
The German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) is one of nine founding organisations that have launched the alliance “CARA” (Conscience of Antimicrobial Resistance Accountability). Today, a
