Research results have emerged suggesting that microorganisms called 'archaea' that have survived for billions of years in extreme environments on Earth could hold the key to overcoming antibiotic resistance.
A team of researchers led by Professor César de la Fuente from the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania noted on the 12th that they discovered next-generation antibiotic candidates from archaeal proteins using artificial intelligence (AI), which they published in the international journal 'Nature Microbiology.'
Archaea are microorganisms that inhabit extreme environments such as hot acidic springs, hydrothermal vents in the deep sea, and salt lakes. Although archaea are prokaryotes like bacteria and lack a nucleus, they are classified separately due to fundamental differences in genetic structure, cell membrane, and metabolic processes.
The researchers analyzed protein sequences from 233 types of archaea using the AI program 'APEX 1.1' and discovered over 12,000 antibiotic candidates. The antibiotics derived from archaea were named 'archaeasin.'
Unlike existing antimicrobial peptides (protein fragments), archaeasin showed differences in the distribution of electrical properties. Among them, 80 selected archaeasins were tested against actual pathogenic bacteria, and 93% inhibited the growth of at least one type of bacteria.
In particular, three types effectively contained the spread of pathogens resistant to existing antibiotics in animal experiments. One type demonstrated a therapeutic effect similar to 'polymyxin B,' which is used as a last resort when other antibiotics fail.
The researchers believe that archaea have evolved biochemical defense mechanisms to survive in extreme environments, and in the process, they likely developed the ability to produce antimicrobial substances. Professor de la Fuente stated, 'In a situation where antibiotic-resistant bacteria are rapidly increasing, efforts to find medicines in new realms of life, such as archaea, rather than traditional sources, are crucial.'
Antibiotics were first developed in 1928 by British bacteriologist Alexander Fleming. Penicillin was discovered from blue mold. While antibiotics have progressed and saved countless lives since, there has been a significant emergence of so-called superbugs that do not respond to any antibiotics. According to the National Institutes of Health, deaths related to antibiotic resistance worldwide reach 700,000 annually, and this figure is expected to rise to 10 million by 2050.
Professor de la Fuente said, 'So far, the search for antibiotic candidates has primarily focused on fungi, bacteria, and animals, but the unknown realm of life called archaea has been almost unstudied,' adding that 'AI is playing a significant role in exploring this new realm.'
The research team announced plans to further develop AI to improve the predictive accuracy of archaeasin's protein structures, verify the safety and efficacy of the archaeasins identified so far, and eventually pursue clinical trials in humans.
References
Nature Microbiology (2025), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-025-02061-0