Harnessing Neanderthal DNA for Next-Gen Antibiotics

Scientists from the University of Pennsylvania have developed a machine learning algorithm to search the genomes of Neanderthals and Denisovans for potentially useful peptides that can be used to create new antibiotics. By identifying roughly 2,500 peptides with anti-infective properties, the researchers synthesized a peptide called neanderthalin-1, which successfully fought a skin infection in mice. This discovery could pave the way for a new class of potent antibiotics to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria.