The global public health community faces a growing crisis as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) continues to make common antibiotics useless, leading to more than one million deaths annually. To address this, scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have used artificial intelligence to create two new antibiotics, NG1 and DN1, which have been found to be very effective against extremely resistant bacterial pathogens, such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae (gonorrhoea) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

This breakthrough is a significant leap towards the battle against drug-resistant infections, giving hope to patients and clinicians worldwide.

Traditional methods of antibiotic development depend extensively on screening current chemical libraries for compounds capable of inhibiting bacterial growth. While this method has been successful in the past, it has its limitations in range and velocity, especially for emerging fast-evolving drug-resistant strains.

MIT researchers employed generative artificial intelligence (AI) to explore previously inaccessible chemical spaces. With two different generative AI methods—chemically reasonable mutations (CReM) and fragment-based variational autoencoder (F-VAE)—the scientists engineered more than 36 million theoretical compounds. The compounds were computationally tested for antimicrobial activity, structural originality, and synthesizability.

MIT's Termeer Professor of Medical Engineering and Science, Dr. James Collins, described: "Our research demonstrates the potential of AI from a drug design perspective. It allows us to tap into enormous chemical spaces that were inaccessible to us before, speeding up the discovery of antibiotics with completely new mechanisms of action."

The computer-aided design process screened the enormous number of molecules down to a handful of potential candidates for laboratory synthesis. In the case of N. gonorrhoeae, the researchers used a fragment-based strategy, discovering a lead chemical fragment, F1, and creating millions of derivative molecules. Following computational screening and synthesis, a top compound, NG1, was highly effective. Tests in the laboratory and mouse models verified its capability to suppress LptA, a protein required for bacterial membrane synthesis.

For S. aureus, an open-ended design strategy generated 29 million compounds, 22 of which were synthesized. Six candidates exhibited high antibacterial activity in vitro, with DN1 showing the ability to kill MRSA in a mouse skin infection model.

The import of these findings is not simply in their activity but also in their unique mechanisms. By acting on bacterial membranes in manners distinct from current antibiotics, NG1 and DN1 diminish the risk of accelerated resistance emergence, an important challenge of contemporary antimicrobial treatment.

How Does This Discovery Contribute to the Global AMR Crisis?

Antimicrobial resistance poses a mounting threat to public health. Bacteria adapt quickly, and traditional antibiotics struggle to keep up, with treatment-resistant infections becoming more difficult to treat. Gonorrhoea and MRSA are just two high-profile examples, with the former increasingly resistant to first-line treatments and the latter causing debilitating hospital-acquired infections.

By introducing AI-designed antibiotics, researchers hope to stay ahead of bacterial evolution. These drugs could form the foundation of a new generation of antimicrobials, effective even against strains that have outsmarted traditional therapies.

Implications Beyond Gonorrhoea and MRSA

While NG1 and DN1 are only at the outset of development and need to undergo major clinical testing before being available for humans, the methodology itself is a revolution in drug discovery. The same strategy using AI could be used to create antibiotics against other bacterial pathogens, and potentially solve many resistant infections.

The approach of the MIT team also points to the wider potential of computer-aided drug design, allowing researchers to explore chemical spaces too vast for regular lab screening. This would speed up the discovery of drugs not just for bacterial disease but also for viral and fungal pathogens.

What Are The Challenges?

Although promising, AI-generated antibiotics are not yet clinically deployable. NG1 and DN1 will need to be subjected to extensive testing to determine safety, effectiveness, and lack of side effects in humans. Additionally, regulatory approval procedures for new compounds can take years, with meticulous examination at each step.

Another aspect to consider is the constant war with bacteria. Although NG1 and DN1 use new mechanisms, bacteria can potentially learn countermeasures. Ongoing surveillance and repeated cycles of drug design will be necessary to keep the advantage.

What Is The Role of AI in Future Medicine?

This advance highlights the revolutionary promise of AI in medicine. Aside from antibiotics, AI is being used more and more to discover drug candidates for cancer, neurological diseases, and metabolic disease. Through molecular interactions simulated and biological activity predicted, AI can decrease by vast orders of magnitude the time and expense of taking new drugs from idea to clinical trials.

As Dr. Collins said, "AI enables us to push the boundaries of drug discovery, opening up possibilities that were unimaginable before. This is only the start of a new frontier in antimicrobial therapy and precision medicine."

Development of NG1 and DN1 is especially apt given the growing travel and globalization, which advance the speed at which drug-resistant bacteria can spread. Gonorrhoea, for example, has demonstrated escalating resistance across a number of countries, making standard treatment regimens difficult. MRSA continues to be a major cause of hospital infections, putting healthcare systems under pressure globally.

Breakthroughs such as AI-designed antibiotics may be central to preventing future crises, in addition to vaccination campaigns, hygiene practices, and judicious antibiotic use.

The MIT researchers' discovery of AI-designed antibiotics NG1 and DN1 is a fantastic milestone in the war on antimicrobial resistance. Through the use of computational strategies to scan large chemical spaces, scientists have created compounds with new mechanisms that can target drug-resistant gonorrhoea and MRSA.

After some days of relief, on Sunday, Delhi again woke up to a thick layer of smog, with pollution levels rising up to 'very poor' category. The centre's early warning system (EWS) forecast that air quality index (AQI) will further deteriorate.

On Sunday, by 7pm, Delhi's AQI was at 299, just below 'very poor' level on the index. Anand Vihar remained at severe levels with the AQI logged at 421 at 11am, by evening, it rose to 428. Wazirpur also slipped into the 'severe' category with an AQI of 408.

As Delhi continues to struggle with smog-filled skies, and thick layer of smoke to breathe through, an earlier video by Dr Divya Prakash, Consultant Physician at Yashoda Hospital on tips to stay safe amid Delhi pollution is making rounds.

What Does The Doctor Say?

Dr Prakash points out that the moment the index goes above 50, the air starts to become unhealthy for us, however, in Delhi, we already see the AQI levels crossing the 400 threshold.

"The main problem is with our lungs due to increasing air pollution. It also indirectly affects our heart and brain. So, how can we save ourselves from this?" He shares that the best way is to use public transports and electric vehicles. He also recommends wearing a mask whenever anyone goes out and urges people to avoid going out at peak hours.

"Eat healthy food, avoid burning wood or construction work around the house and do use your air purifier at home, especially for children and elderly and those who already have lung or other heart problems," he says.

How Poor AQI Impacts Our Lungs?

Air pollution comprises of tiny pollutants and particles called the PM2.5 and PM10, that reach deep into our lungs. These particles, though tiny, are able to inflame the airways and cause breathlessness, wheezing, and repeated coughing. This can further cause healthy adults to suffer from throat irritation, headaches, and fatigue if they are exposed for a long time.

Since children inhale more air per kilogram of body weight than adults, they are at more risk of being harmed by the pollutants. Furthermore, they also have a weaker immunity, which puts them at more risk of such complications.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also notes that not just lungs, but almost every organ in the body can be impacted by air pollution. Thanks to the small size of the pollutants, they can penetrate into the bloodstream via lungs and then circulate throughout the body and could lead to systemic inflammation and carcinogenicity.

What Diseases Could Air Pollution Cause?

Apart from the respiratory diseases like asthma, shortness of breath, COPD, WHO notes that air pollution could is a risk for all-cause mortality as well as diseases like:

• Stroke
• Ischaemic heart disease
• Lung cancer
• Pneumonia
• Cataract

There are evidence that support the link between air pollution exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including low birth weight of the child, small for gestational age, and other cancers, diabetes, and cognitive impairment and neurological disorders in the child.

How Can You Read AQI?

As per the Central Pollution Control Board, here's how the data on AQI can be interpreted

• 0-50 is considered ‘good’
• 51-100 is considered ‘satisfactory’
• 101-200 is considered ‘moderate’
• 201-300 is considered ‘poor’
• 301-400 is considered ‘very poor’
• 401-500 is considered ‘severe’

Delhi witnessed a slight improvement in its Air Quality Index (AQI) for a couple of days before it again slipped back to 'very poor' category. On Sunday morning, some areas in fact reached 'severe' category on the AQI.

While pollution spiked during Diwali, on Friday and Saturday, Delhi's AQI was recorded at 275 and 292 respectively, which has placed the air quality category in 'poor'.

However, on Sunday morning, Delhiites woke up to 'very poor' air quality, thanks to the thick layer of smog. The AQI was recorded well above 300 in most areas. Visuals too show low visibility in many areas of the national capital.

What Does The Expert Say About The Air Quality?

On Sunday, as of 7am, Delhi's Anand Vihar area recorded an AQI of 430, which has placed it under the 'severe' category. Wazirpur also recorded an AQI of 403, further placing it under the 'severe' category. Speaking to ANI, former AIIMS Director Dr Randeep Guleria urged people to use preventative measures in order to minimize their exposure to the polluted air. He also warned people of the health implications which could be the result of deteriorating air quality.

"The current high levels of air pollution, indicated by poor AQI, are leading to acute health effects, particularly among individuals with underlying heart or lung conditions, the elderly, and young children. These groups are experiencing increased chest discomfort, breathing difficulty, cough, and worsening of pre-existing conditions like asthma and COPD," Dr Guleria told ANI, on Friday.

"Even healthy individuals are reporting symptoms such as nasal stuffiness, throat pain, chest tightness, and coughing. The inflammation and narrowing of airways caused by pollutants are contributing to these issues. Additionally, the use of crackers, despite permissions for 'green crackers,' has exacerbated air pollution," he added.

What Preventative Measures Should One Use?

The best way to protect yourself is by limiting your outdoor timings, especially during the early morning hours and at the night. Smog is at its lowest during the afternoon. Furthermore, using an N-95 respirator could protect you from the minute pollutant particles in the air.

N-95 is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles, notes the FDA. This is what makes it fit for use during high levels of pollution.

The edges of N-95 are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth. Some models even have exhalation valves that can make breathing out easier and help reduce the heat build-up.

As per a 2021 study published in the Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging, the N-95 mask could block "at least 95% of very small test particles".

Read More: Which Mask To Wear For Best Protection?

What Does AQI Mean?

As per the Central Pollution Control Board, here's how the data on AQI can be interpreted

• 0-50 is considered ‘good’
• 51-100 is considered ‘satisfactory’
• 101-200 is considered ‘moderate’
• 201-300 is considered ‘poor’
• 301-400 is considered ‘very poor’
• 401-500 is considered ‘severe’

Delhi AQI as of 7am

Alipur, Delhi (DPCC) - 309.00

Anand Vihar, Delhi (DPCC) - 430.00

Ashok Vihar, Delhi (DPCC) - 369.00

Aya Nagar, Delhi (IMD) - 272.00

Bawana, Delhi (DPCC) - 390.00

Burari Crossing, Delhi (IMD) - 344.00

CRRI Mathura Road, Delhi (IMD) - 330.00

Chandni Chowk, Delhi (IITM) - 376.00

DTU, Delhi (CPCB) - 266.00

Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range, Delhi (DPCC) - 317.00

Dwarka-Sector 8, Delhi (DPCC) - 301.00

IGI Airport (T3), Delhi (IMD) - 269.00

IHBAS, Dilshad Garden, Delhi (CPCB) - 310.00

ITO, Delhi (CPCB) - 329.00

Jahangirpuri, Delhi (DPCC) - 370.00

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi (DPCC) - 304.00

Over 141,000 bottles of popular cholesterol medication, Atorvastatin Calcium Tablets, have been recalled as it "failed dissolution specifications". This means the drugs did not pass a solubility test or failed to dissolve at the standard rate.

As per the report by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Ascend Laboratories, LLC, which is a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company was the first to recall the use of the tablets on September 19, 2025.

Following that, this month the drugs have been recalled under Class II recall, which means that the product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote, notes the FDA.

Which Medicines Have Been Recalled?

The current recall only affects the bottles of 10mg, 20mg, 40mg, and 80mg of the said drugs, manufactured by Alkem Laboratories, Ltd. of India. The drugs were distributed by Ascend. The recalled bottles contained tablets which ranged from 90-count to 1000-count bottles.

The FDA is urging people to speak to a doctor or pharmacist before stopping their cholesterol medicine, or switching to any alternatives. The FDA explains, "consumers can generally continue taking the medicine unless the recalling company provides other instructions. In some instances, stopping your medicine may be more harmful to your health than continuing to take the recalled medicine."

What Is A Dissolution Test?

This test is conducted to determine the compliance of the drug with the dissolution requirements for dosage forms to be administrated orally.

Dissolution specifications are quality control limits for drug products that define the acceptable amount of drug substance that must dissolve in a specified time under laboratory conditions. The test also ensures batch-to-batch consistency and predicts how a drug will be released in the body, providing a surrogate measure of clinical performance.

The specifications are based on data from batches, which are used in clinical trials and are then guided by the drug's properties and the dosage form. They vary depending on the drug release types, which could be categorized under three kinds:

• Immediate Release (IR)
• Extended Release (ER)
• Delayed Release (DR)

What Does FDA Say About This Recall?

As per the FDA, Class I recalls are the most serious, this is where there is a reasonable probability that using or being exposed to the recalled drug could cause serious health consequences to the customer. This recall involves removing the drug from the market and are conducted at consumer level.

Class II recall however could cause temporary health consequences but the probability of health issue is remove. FDA notes that "these recalls are generally conducted at the retail level, and patients and consumers can continue using the medicine unless otherwise directed by the recalling company or FDA."

FDA says that for class II or class III recalls, consumers may "generally continue taking the medicine unless the recalling company provides other instructions".