Credit: SCIstyle/Thomas Splettstoesser
Bacteria containing enzymes called beta-lactamases, illustrated by the light blue cluster, break down antibiotics and allow bacterial infections to develop and spread through human cells (orange). A team from ORNL’s Neutron Sciences Directorate is using neutrons to study how resistant bacteria, represented by the light blue rod shapes, are evolving to negate the effects of the beta-lactam class of antibiotics.