News
Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria are hospital germs and are often resistant to common antibiotics. They can infect all human organs and implants, and can persist in the body for long periods of time in a densely agglomerated community – a so-called biofilm. Agglomeration in the biofilm protects them from the immune system and even shields them from the effect of antibiotics. Scientists of the Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research Saarland (HIPS) recently developed a molecule that suppresses the production of biofilms by Pseudomonas. The molecule has another crucial benefit: Due to its small size, it is suitable for oral intake, unlike other drugs of this type. The scientists published their results in Journal of the American Chemical Society. The editors of the journal selected the article as their lead story because of the significance of its findings ("Editor's Choice"). The selection was associated with free-of-charge publication and free access ("Open Access"). The HIPS is a branch of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), operated in cooperation with the Saarland University and, being a part of the HZI, also is part of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF).