Professor Tony Maxwell a scientist at the John Innes Centre, near Norwich claims that bacteria found in soil can be used to attack and kill drug resistant super-bugs such as MRSA.
The professor said a streptomyces strain found in soil which produces a natural antibiotic was "persuaded" to make a potentially more powerful version. The breakthrough will help to develop new antibiotics to fight the infections. They could be available in five years.
He said “the find was in pinpointing the parts of the antibiotic molecule which killed bacteria.
“This could be used to make designer medicines, both more powerful and with fewer side-effects”.
He added: "Our research will help others in the field to develop drugs”.
