Antibiotics are supposed to wipe out bacteria, yet the drugs can sometimes hand microbes an unexpected advantage. A new study from Rutgers Health shows that ciprofloxacin, a staple treatment for urinary tract infections, throws Escherichia coli (E. coli) into an energy crisis that saves many cells from death and speeds the evolution of full‑blown resistance.
“Antibiotics can actually change bacterial metabolism,” said Barry Li, a student at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School pursuing a dual doctoral degree for physician–scientists and the first author of the paper published in Nature Communications. “We wanted to see what those changes do to the bugs’ chances of survival.”
Li and senior author Jason Yang focused on adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecular fuel that powers cells. When ATP levels crash, cells experience “bioenergetic stress.” To mimic that stress, the team engineered E. coli with genetic drains that constantly burned ATP or its cousin nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH). Then, they pitted both the engineered strains and normal bacteria against ciprofloxacin.
The results surprised the researchers. The drug and the genetic drains each slashed ATP, but rather than slowing down, the bacteria revved up. Respiration soared, and the cells spewed extra reactive‑oxygen molecules that can damage DNA. That frenzy produced two troubling outcomes. To read the full story.