--- description: Scientists have discovered a new antibiotic that may help resolve the global fight against drug-resistant bacteria. title: Scientists Discover First New Antibiotic in Years image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d193d14166125f3/698778acf887dc5629e89626/antibiotic.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Health](/section/health/) ## Health Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Infectious Disease](/tag/infectious-disease/) ## Infectious Disease Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # New Antibiotic Could Help Fight 'Superbugs' of the Future by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 7, 2015 7:54 PM CUT  Scientist holding a Petri dish with bacterial clones Scientist holding a Petri dish with bacterial clonesGetty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 7, 2015 7:54 PM CUT Scientists have [discovered](http://www.nature.com/articles/nature14098.epdf?referrer%5Faccess%5Ftoken=w2hbW83mn-cS%5F5O%5F55zBl9RgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PvwA6rMMnycnymQk5ZOpb5ktLjj6cTh7j%5F4Otw8h3aTDVwcvZihZS%5Ff1A5ZzGMA9w0LeQrIxFpLTLggg04DDWp "undefined") a new antibiotic that may help turn the tide against the rise of drug-resistant bacteria, or “superbugs”. By using a method that grows bacteria in its native dirt rather than a lab dish, researchers from Northeastern University in Boston were able to identify a new, promising antibiotic called teixobactin, _Nature_ reports. When the researchers tested teixobactin in mice infected with the bacteria Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)—which causes infections in humans—they reacted favorably and cleared the infection. What’s especially exciting about teixobactin is that the bacteria tested so far has not displayed resistance. Antibiotic resistance is becoming an increasingly problematic public health burden with antibiotic-resistant bacteria [causing](http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/national-strategy/ "undefined") at least 2 million infections and 23,000 deaths in the United States each year. A December [report](http://time.com/3630463/drug-resistant-infections-antibiotics/ "undefined") warned that superbugs, or bacteria resistant to antibiotics, could kill as many as 10 million people a year by 2050. **MORE:** [Health Workers See Promise in Software to Tackle Drug-Resistant Bacteria](http://time.com/3653464/software-antibiotic-resistance-research/ "undefined") The study’s authors [speculate](http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/01/a-new-drug-in-the-age-of-antibiotic-resistance/384291/ "undefined") that teixobactin isn’t as resistant as other antiobiotics because it uses a different mode to attack bacteria, that appears to make resistance less likely. The scientists came across over 20 drug candidates, but teixobactin looks to be the most promising. While it’s not impossible for teixobactin to cause resistance, the researchers conclude that it seems less susceptible. For now it requires further testing to assess its potential for clinical use. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3658137/antibiotic-bacteria-teixobactin-superbug/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3658137/antibiotic-bacteria-teixobactin-superbug/"},"headline":"New Antibiotic Could Help Fight 'Superbugs' of the Future","datePublished":"2015-01-07T19:54:16.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:22:27.539Z","description":"Teixobactin successfully treated mice with MRSA","url":"https://time.com/3658137/antibiotic-bacteria-teixobactin-superbug/","keywords":["Infectious Disease","Drugs","Bacteria","nature","antibiotic resistance","drug resistance","antibiotic"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d193d14166125f3/698778acf887dc5629e89626/antibiotic.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Alexandra Sifferlin","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt0d193d14166125f3/698778acf887dc5629e89626/antibiotic.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Scientist holding a Petri dish with bacterial clones","caption":"Scientist holding a Petri dish with bacterial clones","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/infectious-disease/","name":"Infectious Disease"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3658137/antibiotic-bacteria-teixobactin-superbug/","name":"New Antibiotic Could Help Fight 'Superbugs' of the Future"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"This Flu Shot Is Not Like the Others","description":"Some people may get a new flu shot that’s made with dog cells instead of chicken eggs","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/1thSi60s/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-10-30T14:53:23.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/1thSi60s.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3658137/antibiotic-bacteria-teixobactin-superbug/","duration":"PT2M9S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3658137/antibiotic-bacteria-teixobactin-superbug/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```