A new study identified compounds within a "failed" tuberculosis treatment that effectively fight some herbicide-resistant "superweeds" in Australia. Researchers say their findings could be a "game-changer for the agriculture sector."
A molecule which was initially developed to treat tuberculosis but failed to progress out of the lab as an antibiotic is now showing promise as a powerful foe for weeds that invade our gardens and cost farmers billions of dollars each year.While the failed antibiotic wasn’t fit for its original purpose, scientists at the University of Adelaide discovered that by tweaking its structure, the molecule became effective at killing two of the most problematic weeds in Australia, annual ryegrass and wild radish, without harming bacterial and human cells.“This discovery is a potential game changer for the agricultural industry. Many weeds are now resistant to the existing herbicides on the market, costing farmers billions of dollars each year,” said lead researcher Dr Tatiana Soares da Costa from the University of Adelaide’s Waite Research Institute.“Using failed antibiotics as herbicides provides a short-cut for faster development of new, more effective weed killers that target dama
A molecule which was initially developed to treat tuberculosis but failed to progress out of the lab as an antibiotic is now showing promise as a powerful foe for weeds that invade our gardens and .