Andrés Cubillos-Ruiz was concerned about the effects of antibiotics on his pregnant wife's gut health after routine dental treatment. Antibiotics can eliminate beneficial gut microorganisms, increasing vulnerability to infections and health issues. Recognizing the importance of maternal gut health in fetal development, Cubillos-Ruiz, a microbiologist, partnered with researchers at MIT to engineer a bacterium intended to safely degrade β-lactam antibiotics, aiming to mitigate the harmful effects of these necessary but disruptive drugs on gut health during pregnancy.
"Deploying an antibiotic is not a benign act," says Gautam Dantas, highlighting the severe implications of antibiotics on gut microbial ecosystems.
Cubillos-Ruiz, a microbiologist, engineered a bacterium to selectively break down β-lactam antibiotics, targeting the collateral damage these drugs cause.
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