Antibiotic resistance is a growing global issue. According to the CDC, antibiotic resistance was associated with almost 5 million deaths in 2019. In the U.S., more than 2.8 million antimicrobial-resistant infections occur annually, killing more than 35,000 people. Researchers at Rockefeller University developed a platform to identify drug resistance genes in the environment before they…
How an engineered algae-based biologic aims to break the annual $5B cycle of c. diff reinfection
Imagine a shape-shifting pathogen invisible to the naked eye, armed with toxin-laced barbs that rupture human cells. This isn’t fiction—it’s Clostridioides difficile, a superbug causing 29,000 U.S. deaths annually through severe diarrhea and colitis. After an initial infection, up to 35% of patients experience recurrence, with subsequent episodes becoming increasingly likely—up to 60% of these…