The Little Book of Irish Science SFI Little Book of Irish Science | Page 69

A New Weapon
66
Researchers at the Science Foundation Ireland funded
Microbiome Institute in University College Cork and
Teagasc Moorepark have found a new antimicrobial
agent, Thuricin CD, that can kill the antibiotic-
resistant bacterium Clostridium diffi cile, which poses
a major problem in clinical and healthcare settings.
The new antibiotic may also reduce the risk of disease
recurrence, compared with that of broad-spectrum
antibiotic treatment, because it spares the normal gut
bacteria that help to limit C. diffi cile growth. Thuricin
CD was discovered by screening over 30,000 bacteria
isolated from the human gut and the technology has
been licenced to a recently formed spin-out company,
Artugen Therapeutics.
apc.ucc.ie