• Breakthrough CRISPR system could reverse antibiotic resistance crisis A new CRISPR â gene driveâ for bacteria could turn back the clock on antibiotic resistance. • Antibiotic resistance (AR) has escalated rapidly in recent years, growing into a serious global health emergency. • Disease-causing bacteria are continually adapting, finding new ways to survive treatments that once eliminated them. • As a result, more drug resistant “superbugs” are spreading, and projections suggest that by 2050 they could be responsible for more than 10 million deaths worldwide each year. • These dangerous bacteria often thrive in hospitals, wastewater treatment facilities, livestock operations, and fish farms. • In response to this expanding threat, scientists are turning to advanced genetic technologies.
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