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Investigators working to stem the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria have taken a major step in their efforts to develop new treatments. In mBio, researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) report they have identified a novel mechanism that a particular superbug uses to fend off a key front-line antibiotic called daptomycin. The superbug often affects critically ill patients. This information is helping investigators identify compounds to knock out a mechanism of resistance in order to disarm the superbug.

Each year, millions of people in the United States get a tuberculosis skin test to see if they have the infection that still affects one third of the worlds population. But the standard diagnostic test is difficult to give, because a hypodermic needle must be inserted at a precise angle and depth in the arm to successfully check for tuberculosis. Now, a team led by University of Washington engineers has created a patch with tiny, biodegradable needles that can penetrate the skin and precisely deliver a tuberculosis test. The researchers published their results online Aug. 26 in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials.