An antimicrobial compound made by honey bees could become the basis for new antibiotics, according to new research at the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA. No new antibiotics have been discovered for more than 30 years, and some bacteria are becoming immune to the drugs used to treat or prevent infections. Antibiotic resistance, called one of the world’s most pressing public health concerns by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, can mean illnesses that were once easily treatable are now potentially deadly.

Each year in the US, at least two million people become infected with bacte