NEW Discovery for Antibiotic Resistance

A new University of Copenhagen study reports a previously unknown hiding place for the genes that make bacteria resistant to antibiotics. The prevailing belief that resistant bacteria will lose their resistance genes during a break from antibiotic use has been challenged by the findings of this new study. 

This study shows that resistance genes have the ability to hide in inactive bacteria, where they form a hidden reserve of resistance that bacteria can rely on, even in the absence of antibiotics. The new study shows that biofilms contribute to antibiotic resistance of bacteria where inactive bacteria layered deep in the biofilm maintain their resistance even when dormant. These findings are important to understanding how bacterial antibiotic resistance takes place, as resistance genes have been found to persist longer than previously believed.  

Read the full University of Copenhagen News Article here

Read the full text Danish study article here

Read more LDA articles on bacteria persistence here