Research by UMass scientist could lead to development of new antibiotics

Peter Chien, a biochemist at the University of Massachusetts, is part of a team of researchers that conducted a study that could be key to the development of new antibiotics. The team’s discovery unveiled a major bacterial process that is crucial for bacterial growth, virulence and infection, according to a UMass press release. The research was completed in partnership with a team of University of California, Berkeley biochemists led by Kathleen Ryan. “There is a present human health need for the development of alternative antibiotics,” Chien said. “The mechanisms of the current ones are becoming less effective. There is ...