Resistance gene helps C. difficile spores survive hospital-grade disinfectants
· Medical Xpressedited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan
Gaby Clark
Scientific Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process
Robert Egan
Senior Editor
Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:
fact-checked
peer-reviewed publication
trusted source
proofread
The GIST Add as preferred source
Antibiotic resistance is supercharging dangerous gut bacteria to withstand even hospital-grade disinfectants intended to kill them.
New research from Monash University, published in Nature Communications, reveals that the bacterium Clostridioides difficile has picked up a key gene that gives its dormant spores a free pass against antibiotics and cleaning products.
Its spores act like plant seeds, waiting to activate and spread in the right environment, like the human gut.
This is particularly dangerous because the bacterium is commonly found in hospitals and causes diarrhea that can be deadly for patients who are already ill.
Lead researcher Dena Lyras, interim dean of the Monash Sub-Faculty of Biomedical and Psychological Sciences and director of Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said the research is a crucial step forward in the race against antimicrobial resistance.
"Antibiotics are helping bacteria evolve in ways we hadn't anticipated," Lyras said.
"Our new research shows just how sophisticated their evolution is, with the potential to have disastrous impacts on humans.
"They are not only better at building tolerance to drugs we develop, but making new versions of themselves that can survive better in particular environments, like surfaces where cleaning products are commonly applied."
Antibiotic resistance's global toll
Antimicrobial resistance occurs when bacteria stop responding to antibiotics, leading to infections that can be hard or impossible to treat.
The World Health Organization lists this phenomenon as a major global health threat and estimates that it contributes to millions of deaths every year.
A resistance gene fortifies spores
The research, the first to uncover a link between antibiotic resistance and bacterial spores, shows that when Clostridioides difficile picks up this antibiotic resistance gene, the antibiotic block no longer works.
Instead, the bacterium can make even tougher spores that can survive hospital-grade cleaning products and high laundry temperatures.
The antibiotic resistance gene produces a protein that replaces a key spore-building protein, allowing the bacterium to keep making spores.
Spore survival complicates infection control
First author Dr. Yogitha Srikhanta, a postdoctoral research fellow at Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, said targeting the spores could be the key to a solution.
"Spore survival matters because spores are the main way these pathogens spread between people and through hospitals, homes and the environment," Srikhanta said.
"A resistance gene that changes how spores are built could make infections harder to control and help resistant strains spread more easily.
"We are now investigating ways to deal with this new type of antibiotic resistance."
Publication details
Yogitha N. Srikhanta et al, Uncovering an alternate pathway of antibiotic resistance in spore-forming bacteria, Nature Communications (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-026-75594-5
Journal information: Nature Communications
Key medical concepts
Clostridioides difficileSpores, BacterialAntibiotic Resistance
Clinical categories
Infectious diseasesCommon illnesses & PreventionPreventive medicine Provided by Monash University Who's behind this story?
Gaby Clark
MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile →
Robert Egan
Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →
Citation: Resistance gene helps C. difficile spores survive hospital-grade disinfectants (2026, September 29) retrieved 29 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-resistance-gene-difficile-spores-survive.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.