Antibiotic resistance against β-lactams is of paramount therapeutic importance. Although such resistance is known to involve degradation by hydrolysis, the molecular details of what happens next remain unclear. A new study reveals how soil microbes perform β-lactam catabolism and how this process can support bacterial growth.
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Schofield, C.J. Antibiotics as food for bacteria. Nat Microbiol 3, 752–753 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0181-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-018-0181-z
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