antibiotic resistance

Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed pPro-MobV, a second-generation CRISPR-based gene drive that spreads through bacterial populations via conjugal transfer to disable antibiotic resistance genes, demonstrating effectiveness even within biofilms.

The 2026 AMR Benchmark reveals a 35 percent contraction in pharmaceutical antibiotic pipelines since 2021, while the WHO publishes new target product profiles for urgently needed drugs against carbapenem-resistant bacteria, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and drug-resistant meningitis.

A second-generation Pro-Active Genetics system spreads via bacterial conjugation to disable resistance genes on plasmids, working even inside biofilms.