Overview

• University of Oregon researchers reported the findings on Sept. 29 in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
• Adding small doses of chlorate to existing antibiotics sharply increased killing of Pseudomonas aeruginosa in controlled cell-culture experiments.
• The combination allowed ceftazidime to be used at roughly 1% of its standard dose while maintaining efficacy in the lab.
• The team is probing how chlorate heightens susceptibility in bacteria that rely on nitrate respiration under low oxygen, as the exact mechanism remains unresolved.
• Backed by a $1.84 million NIH grant, the research now moves to mixed-species models, in vivo studies and safety evaluations before considering clinical translation.