Antibiosis is a biological process in which one organism produces specific metabolites that adversely affect the survival, growth, reproduction, or physiology of another organism, typically of a different species. It commonly involves secretion of antibiotics, toxins, or other secondary metabolites into the surrounding environment, leading to inhibitory or lethal effects on competitors, pathogens, or symbionts. Antibiosis plays a critical role in microbial ecology, plant–microbe and microbe–microbe interactions, and biological control of pests and diseases, and is mechanistically distinct from resource competition or predation because its primary mode of action is chemically mediated interference rather than direct consumption or simple nutrient depletion.
Early in 2025, scientists discovered a promising new antibiotic in a soil sample from a lab technician's backyard. The molecule, called lariocidin, is produced by the microbe Paenibacillus and shows broad activity against ...
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 14, 2026
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Over the decades, many strains of disease-causing bacteria have evolved defenses to even the most potent antibiotics, setting off a growing health crisis. The rise of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs" has also set off an arms ...
Bio & Medicine
Jan 9, 2026
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A new study reveals that bacteria can survive antibiotic treatment through two fundamentally different "shutdown modes," not just the classic idea of dormancy. The paper is published in the journal Science Advances.
Cell & Microbiology
Jan 2, 2026
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71
University of Otago scientists are harnessing the power of peptides—the body's own tiny protein molecules—for a spray to help the red meat industry solve headaches around bacterial contamination and spoilage.
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 29, 2025
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56
Has a crucial component to the development of human medicine been hiding under our feet? Auburn University Assistant Professor of Entomology Clint Penick and a team of graduate students may have found that ants are far ahead ...
Evolution
Dec 18, 2025
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324
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a spray-on polymer coating that could help plants resist harmful bacterial infections and survive drought. The advance, published in ACS Materials Letters, ...
Biotechnology
Dec 18, 2025
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21
UTIs are among the most common bacterial infections worldwide, but inappropriate use and overuse of antibiotics is driving antimicrobial resistance. Once dependable, antibiotics now take longer to work or fail entirely, with ...
Bio & Medicine
Dec 18, 2025
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Experts are increasingly turning to machine learning to predict antibiotic resistance in pathogens. With its help, resistance mechanisms can be identified based on a pathogen's genetics. However, the results should be viewed ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 17, 2025
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43
Tuberculosis is both curable and preventable, yet each year, it still kills more people than any other infectious disease. One reason is that current treatments hinge on rifampicin, an antibiotic that blocks bacterial transcription ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 15, 2025
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15
Countless bacterial species share cramped environments where competition for space and resources is fierce. Some rely on a molecular speargun to outcompete their opponents. One of them is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It is widespread ...
Cell & Microbiology
Dec 8, 2025
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