New Discovery: Skin Microbe Could Help Battle Deadly Drug-Resistant Bacteria
A new study from the University of Oregon has uncovered how a common yeast living on human skin can help fight dangerous bacterial infections — offering a promising lead in the battle against antibiotic-resistant “superbugs.”
Published in Current Biology , the research reveals that Malassezia sympodialis , a fungus naturally found on our skin, produces specific fatty acids that exhibit strong antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus — a bacterium responsible for hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations in the U.S. each year.
This discovery highlights a potential new source for antibiotics: fungi that are already part of the human microbiome. According to Dr. Caitlin Kowalski, the study’s lead author, skin-dwelling fungi like Malassezia have been largely overlooked despite the urgent need for alternatives to traditional antibiotics.
The researchers found that Malassezia feeds on skin oils and converts them into hydroxy fatty acids, which act like natural detergents, destroying the cell membranes of S. aureus . In lab tests, these compounds were able to kill the bacteria in as little as 15 minutes.
However, the protection isn’t absolute. Over time, the bacteria can develop resistance — similar to how they adapt to clinical antibiotics — by mutating a gene called Rel , which helps them survive stress.
This finding underscores the complex relationship between microbes on our skin and their impact on health. While Malassezia is best known for its role in conditions like dandruff and eczema, it also plays a protective role under normal conditions.
Dr. Kowalski emphasizes that while this opens exciting possibilities for new treatments, it also raises important questions about how microbial therapies might influence bacterial evolution.
With antibiotic resistance becoming an ever-growing global threat, this research shines a light on the untapped potential of the skin microbiome — and how understanding it could lead to life-saving medical breakthroughs.