Venom and Hot Peppers Offer a Key to Killing Resistant Bacteria

UNAM researchers identified antibiotic candidates from scorpion venom and habanero pepper compounds.

The molecules showed activity against tuberculosis and drug-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The compounds were patented, and the team is now pursuing further development toward clinical trials.

The work could help address infections that are becoming harder to treat because of antibiotic resistance.