Cell Communication Helps Bacteria Evade Drugs, Study Finds

Researchers uncover new mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance in Listeria monocytogenes.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 9:55pm

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Biologists have discovered a new mode of communication inside cells that allows bacterial pathogens like Listeria monocytogenes to learn how to evade drugs. Their findings, published in Nature Communications, describe how these mechanisms drive antimicrobial resistance, which is a growing global health concern.

Why it matters

Antibiotic resistance is on the rise, leaving providers with fewer options to treat infections. This study unlocks a critical piece of the puzzle by revealing that bacteria contain intricate communication networks, allowing them to share genetic information that boosts resistance and virulence.

The details

The researchers examined how mobile genetic elements like plasmids, phages, and transposons transfer antimicrobial resistance genes in L. monocytogenes by analyzing 936 bacterial genome sequences from patients with listeriosis in New York. They found that different types of mobile genetic elements can swap DNA, creating new combinations of resistance genes and making infections increasingly difficult to treat.

  • The study analyzed bacterial samples collected from 2000 to 2021.
  • The findings were published on January 28, 2026.

The players

Cheryl Andam

Associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and scientific director of the Life Sciences Research at the University at Albany.

Kimberlee Musser

Chief of Bacterial Disease at the New York State Department of Health's Wadsworth Center.

Listeria monocytogenes

The foodborne bacteria that causes listeriosis, a life-threatening infection.

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What they’re saying

“Antibiotic resistance is on the rise globally. Patients are acquiring infections that we used to be able to treat, but as bacterial strains are becoming increasingly virulent and resistant to multiple types of drugs, providers are running out of options.”

— Cheryl Andam, Associate professor, University at Albany

“DNA transfer among different types of mobile genetic elements dramatically broadens the distribution and mobility of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence genes. When these different types of elements exchange genetic material, they can create new combinations of resistance genes, resulting in a carrier with six resistance genes. Bacterial cells that acquire such elements can learn to resist multiple types of antibiotics, making infections increasingly difficult to treat.”

— Cheryl Andam, Associate professor, University at Albany

What’s next

The researchers hope their findings could inform the development of new, more powerful drugs and help providers identify the best treatment for a given strain of bacteria more efficiently, improving patient outcomes.

The takeaway

This study reveals how bacteria use intricate communication networks to share genetic information and rapidly evolve resistance to multiple antibiotics, underscoring the urgent need for new approaches to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.