Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health developed genetically altered Escherichia coli to study protein transfer between bacterial cells and its relationship to antibiotic survival. This work was published in Science on June 25, 2026.
They created two types of bacteria: donors that produced a specific protein needed by recipient bacteria to metabolize a sugar. This allowed detection of when proteins were transferred.
Donor bacteria were found to release proteins inside tiny sacs called vesicles, which recipient bacteria could absorb. This process occurs more frequently when bacteria are exposed to antibiotics.
Antibiotic exposure induced a stress response in donor bacteria, activating a system that caused them to package and release proteins in vesicles. Recipient bacteria became dormant and more likely to absorb these protein-loaded vesicles.
Recipient bacteria exposed to vesicles from donors showed higher survival rates under antibiotic treatment than those that did not receive vesicles, demonstrating a survival advantage through protein sharing.
Further experiments identified various genes and molecules involved in this protein transfer mechanism. Researchers suggest antibiotics may cause bacterial populations to divide into donor and recipient groups, facilitating survival through vesicle-mediated protein sharing.