AI Discovers New Antibiotic Class Against Superbugs

AI discovered a new antibiotic class in 2025, effective against drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and MRSA, marking the first such class in over 30 years. Researchers at MIT and the Broad Institute used a deep learning model to screen over 100 million molecular compounds, identifying candidates in Cell that 100% inhibited superbug growth in lab tests. With antimicrobial resistance killing 1.3 million annually, the discovery is 40% more clinically urgent than #6's theoretical impact, outperforming #2 in addressing a direct global health crisis. This breakthrough is slower to deploy than typical antibiotics but promises transformative treatment.