McMaster Scientists Discover Manikomycin, a New Antibiotic Candidate

Overview

• The finding was published in Nature on June 3 and identifies manikomycin as a preclinical antibiotic candidate from McMaster University researchers.
• Manikomycin works by binding the ribosomal E-site and blocking the 3′ end of tRNA from entering, which halts the translocation step of protein synthesis.
• Laboratory tests show activity against priority and multidrug‑resistant bacteria such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and other Enterobacteriaceae.
• Early preclinical data report no toxicity to human cells and efficacy in lab infection models while the team is optimizing roughly 60 chemical derivatives to select a lead for clinical development.
• The discovery used advanced fractionation of Streptomyces rimosus extracts to reveal a low‑abundance natural product, a method that suggests well‑studied microbes can still yield new antibiotics.