Breakthrough CRISPR Tool Could Help Combat Antibiotic Resistance Crisis: Research Reveals

What if we could make antibiotic resistance disappear, not just slow it down, but actively erase it from bacterial populations? Scientists at the University of California, San Diego, have developed a powerful new CRISPR-based tool designed to do exactly that: spread through bacterial communities and delete the genes that make them resistant to antibiotics.

The findings were published in the journal npj Antimicrobials and Resistance.

Antibiotic resistance (AR) is now one of the most urgent global health threats. Drug-resistant “superbugs” are rising in hospitals, farms, wastewater plants, and aquaculture systems. Some projections estimate that by 2050, resistant infections could cause over 10 million deaths annually. Instead of creating new antibiotics, researchers are now exploring ways to genetically re-sensitize bacteria to the drugs we already have.

Led by Professors Ethan Bier and Justin Meyer, the team engineered a second-generation Pro-Active Genetics system called pPro-MobV. Inspired by gene drives—tools previously used in insects to spread specific traits through populations—the system applies similar “gene-drive thinking” to bacteria.

Methodologically, the researchers designed a mobile genetic cassette built on CRISPR technology. This cassette specifically targets antibiotic resistance genes located on plasmids—small circular DNA molecules that replicate independently within bacterial cells. Once inserted, the cassette disrupts these resistance genes, restoring bacterial sensitivity to antibiotics. The updated pPro-MobV system spreads between bacteria through conjugal transfer, a process similar to bacterial mating, allowing the CRISPR components to move efficiently from one cell to another.

Importantly, the team demonstrated that the system functions within biofilms—dense microbial communities that are notoriously difficult to treat and are responsible for many chronic infections. The researchers also showed that bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) can help transport elements of the system, potentially enhancing its reach.

As a built-in safety measure, the platform includes a homology-based deletion mechanism, allowing removal of the genetic cassette if needed. Together, these findings suggest a promising new strategy—not merely to contain antibiotic resistance, but to actively reverse it across bacterial populations in clinical and environmental settings.

REFERENCE: Saluja Kaduwal, Elizabeth C. Stuart, Ankush Auradkar, Seth Washabaugh, Justin R. Meyer, Ethan Bier. A conjugal gene drive-like system efficiently suppresses antibiotic resistance in a bacterial population. npj Antimicrobials and Resistance, 2026; 4 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s44259-026-00181-z