A team of researchers has demonstrated how advanced robotics combined with click chemistry can dramatically accelerate the discovery of new antibiotics, offering renewed hope in the global battle against drug-resistant infections, according to News-Medical.

The study, published in Nature Communications, was led by Dr Angelo Frei from the University of York’s Department of Chemistry and focused on an unconventional but promising class of medicines — metal-based compounds. Using a fully automated robotic platform, the team rapidly synthesised more than 700 complex metal compounds in less than a week, a process that would traditionally require months of manual laboratory work.

The urgency of this work is underscored by the growing crisis of antimicrobial resistance, which is responsible for more than a million preventable deaths worldwide each year. As bacteria evolve to withstand existing antibiotics, even routine medical procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy, and organ transplants risk becoming far more dangerous.

To address this, the researchers turned away from standard carbon-based antibiotics and explored three-dimensional metal complexes, which can interact with bacteria in fundamentally different ways and may bypass established resistance mechanisms.

Following synthesis, all compounds were screened for their ability to kill bacteria while remaining safe for healthy human cells. Six potential lead candidates were identified, with one iridium-based compound standing out for its strong antibacterial activity, including against MRSA-like strains, and its low toxicity.

The findings challenge the perception that metal-based drugs are inherently unsafe and suggest they may be a valuable, underused resource. The team now aims to refine the compound, understand its mechanism of action, and expand the platform to explore other metals and applications.