BALTIMORE, Md., Oct. 6 -- The University of Maryland- Baltimore County issued the following news release:
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a common culprit in hospital-acquired bacterial infections and is growing more resistant to antibiotics. New findings from Aaron Smith, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at UMBC, and collaborators at Oklahoma State University show how a two-protein system inside the bacterium operates like a sensitive switch: The pair detects iron both outside and inside the cell and then rewrites large parts of the microbe's metabolism in response. The results, published in Nature Communications, suggest this system could become a target for more effective treatments for stubborn infections.
Like most living things, Ps...