Biology
Mechanisms of Antibiotic Resistance in Gram-Negative Bacteria
Quick fact
Gram-negative bacteria are naturally resistant to many antibiotics because their outer membrane acts as a barrier, and they can pump out drugs faster than the drugs enter.
Why this is interesting
You’ve probably taken antibiotics for an infection, but what if the bacteria simply ‘spit’ the drug out or disassemble it before it can work? That is exactly what gram-negative bacteria do, and it makes them among the toughest foes in medicine.