OUTLOOK13 May 2026To battle antibiotic resistance, researchers are leaving no stone unturned, looking at folk traditions and harnessing AI to find new antibiotics.You have full access to this article via your institution.Antibiotics are losing their effectiveness. With the growth of antimicrobial resistance, routine treatments could become impossible owing to the risk of infection. Cancer treatments, care of newborns and routine surgeries are all in danger if this trend isn’t curbed. Millions of people are already dying from infections by antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In 2023, the World Bank estimated that antimicrobial resistance could increase health-care costs by US$1 trillion by 2050. So, researchers are urgently looking for solutions.Some of these might come from surprising places, and this has led researchers to investigate organisms at the planet's extremes. Other scientists, however, have discovered a source of antibiotic-producing bacteria closer to home — at the grave of a faith healer.Although some researchers have turned to traditional folk stories for clues in the search for new medicines, others have been using artificial intelligence to speed up the discovery process for antibiotics, to help deliver drugs into bacteria and to help physicians decide when to prescribe antibiotics to help prevent their overuse.Together, this research could unlock new antibiotics and find ways to make them last longer, avoiding a future in which bacterial infections make a resurgence.doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01424-9This article is part of Nature Outlook: Antimicrobial resistance, a supplement produced with financial support from Meiji Seika Pharma. Nature maintains full independence in all editorial decisions related to the content. About this content. The fightback against antimicrobial resistance starts at home Six key developments in the fight against antimicrobial resistance Street sellers and private physicians fuel antibiotic overuse Antibiotics look like any other drugs — and that’s a problem Are non-antibiotic drugs contributing to antimicrobial resistance? Why farm workers need protection from antimicrobial resistance Economic reform can save antibiotic innovation Old antibiotics are being revived to fight new threats Antifungal resistance is growing – will new treatments turn the tables?Partner content: New science for old enemies: Tackling multi-drug resistant infectionsSubjectsMicrobiologyAntibioticsMachine learningLatest on:MicrobiologyAntibioticsMachine learningJobs Postdoctoral FellowPostdoctoral Fellow focus on ferroic smart materials: shape-memory alloys, piezoelectric ceramics, and magnetostrictive materials, etcNingbo, Zhejiang (CN)Center for Advanced Smart Materials (CASM), Yongjiang Laboratory (Y-Lab)Principal Investigator/ Associate ProfessorPI & Associate Professor class focus on innovative research about ferroic smart materials or technology transferNingbo, Zhejiang (CN)Center for Advanced Smart Materials (CASM), Yongjiang Laboratory (Y-Lab)Scientific EditorThe Scientific Editor plays a critical role in ensuring a high‑quality, efficient, and integrity‑driven peer review process.London - Hybrid working modelSpringer Nature LtdCRAG DirectorCRAG is seeking applicants for Director with a distinguished record of scientific excellence, proven leadership and management experience.Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, BarcelonaCentre de Recerca en Agrigenòmica (CRAG), Consorci CSIC – IRTA – UAB – UBAssociate or Senior Editor, Nature MaterialsJob Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Nature Materials Locations: Shanghai, Beijing, Milan or Pune - hybrid working model Application Deadline: Ju...Shanghai, Beijing, Milan or Pune - hybrid working modelSpringer Nature Ltd