Using generative AI, researchers design compounds that can kill drug-resistant bacteria

The team used two different AI approaches to design novel antibiotics, including one that showed promise against MRSA. Anne Trafton | MIT News Publication Date: August 14, 2025 Press Inquiries Press Contact: Sarah McDonnell Email: s_mcd@mit.edu Phone: 617-253-8923 Fax: 617-258-8762 MIT News Office Close Caption: With help from artificial intelligence, MIT researchers have discovered novel antibiotics that can combat two hard-to-treat infections: a drug-resistant form of gonorrhea and multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Credits: Credit: iStock, MIT News Previous image Next image Audio With help from artificial intelligence, MIT researchers have designed novel antibiotics that can combat two hard-to-treat infections: drug-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae and multi-drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).Using generative AI algorithms, the research team designed more than 36 million possible compounds and computationally screened them for antimicrobial properties. The top candidates they discovered are structurally distinct from any existing antibiotics, and they appear to work by novel mechanisms that disrupt bacterial cell membranes.This approach allowed the researchers to generate and evaluate theoretical compounds that have never been seen before — a strategy that they now hope to apply to identify and design compounds with activity against other species of bacteria.“We’re excited about the new possibilities that this project opens up for antibiotics dev...