SkiptomaincontentThankyouforvisitingnature.com.YouareusingabrowserversionwithlimitedsupportforCSS.Toobtainthebestexperience,werecommendyouuseamoreuptodatebrowser(orturnoffcompatibilitymodeinInternetExplorer).Inthemeantime,toensurecontinuedsupport,wearedisplayingthesitewithoutstylesandJavaScript.AdvertisementnaturearticlesarticleSubjectsAntibioticsAntimicrobialresistanceNaturalproductsTargetidentificationAnErratumtothisarticlewaspublishedon25February2015ThisarticlehasbeenupdatedAbstractAntibioticresistanceisspreadingfasterthantheintroductionofnewcompoundsintoclinicalpractice,causingapublichealthcrisis.Mostantibioticswereproducedbyscreeningsoilmicroorganisms,butthislimitedresourceofcultivablebacteriawasoverminedbythe1960s.Syntheticapproachestoproduceantibioticshavebeenunabletoreplacethisplatform.Unculturedbacteriamakeupapproximately99%ofallspeciesinexternalenvironments,andareanuntappedsourceofnewantibiotics.Wedevelopedseveralmethodstogrowunculturedorganismsbycultivationinsituorbyusingspecificgrowthfactors.Herewereportanewantibioticthatwetermteixobactin,discoveredinascreenofunculturedbacteria.TeixobactininhibitscellwallsynthesisbybindingtoahighlyconservedmotifoflipidII(precursorofpeptidoglycan)andlipidIII(precursorofcellwallteichoicacid).WedidnotobtainanymutantsofStaphylococcusaureusorMycobacteriumtuberculosisresistanttoteixobactin.Thepropertiesofthiscompoundsuggestapathtowardsdevelopingantibioticsthatarelikelytoavoiddevelopmentofresistance.AccessoptionsSubscribetoJournalGetfulljournalaccessfor1year199,00€only3,90€perissueSubscribeTaxcalculationwillbefinalisedduringcheckout.RentorBuyarticleGettimelimitedorfullarticleaccessonReadCube.from$8.99RentorBuyAllpricesareNETprices.Additionalaccessoptions:LoginAccessthroughyourinstitutionLearnaboutinstitutionalsubscriptionsFigure1:Thestructureofteixobactinandthepredictedbiosyntheticgenecluster.Figure2:Time-dependentkillingofpathogensbyteixobactin.Figure3:Teixobactinbindstocellwallprecursors.Figure4:Teixobactinisefficaciousinthre