Abaucin

Abaucin (RS-102895, MLJS-21001) is a compound which has been reported to show useful activity as a narrow-spectrum antibiotic. There is evidence that it is effective against Acinetobacter baumannii, which is one of the three superbugs identified by the World Health Organization as a "critical threat" to humanity. Notably, abaucin was developed with assistance from artificial intelligence by a team led by the MIT Jameel Clinic's faculty lead for life sciences, James J. Collins, and McMaster's Jonathan Stokes. Its mode of action involves inhibiting lipoprotein transport. The compound had previously been reported as an antagonist of the chemokine receptor CCR2, but its antibiotic activity was not discovered during earlier research.

A New York Times opinion piece by Peter Coy for Thanksgiving listed abaucin among scientific discoveries to be thankful for in 2023.