Antibiotic "megacluster" discovery provides new strategy to fight superbugs

Researchers at McMaster University discovered a "megacluster" of genes in Streptomyces soil bacteria that produces four molecules working together to attack bacteria's ability to make biotin, a nutrient essential for their survival. Unlike most antibiotics that target a single pathway, this natural combination strategy is harder for bacteria to resist. While clinical use is years away, the discovery offers a new roadmap for finding future antibiotics.