Cockroaches¹（蟑螂） could be more of a health benefit than a health hazard（健康危害） according to scientists from the University of Nottingham, who have discovered powerful antibiotic² properties in the brains of cockroaches and locusts³. Simon Lee, a postgraduate⁴ researcher who is presenting his work at the Society for General Microbiology's autumn meeting in Nottingham, describes how the group identified up to nine different molecules⁵ in the insect tissues that were toxic⁶ to bacteria. These substances could lead to novel（新奇的，异常的） treatments for multi-drug resistant⁷ bacterial⁸ infections.

The group found that the tissues of the brain and nervous system of the insects were able to kill more than 90% of Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（金黄色酿脓葡萄球菌） (MRSA) and Escherichia coli, without harming human cells. Studying the specific properties of the antibacterial molecules is currently underway in the laboratory. "We hope that these molecules could eventually be developed into treatments for E. coli and MRSA infections that are increasingly resistant to current drugs," explained Mr Lee. "Also, these new antibiotics⁹ could potentially provide alternatives to currently available drugs that may be effective but have serious and unwanted side effects," he said.

The pharmaceutical¹⁰ industry is generating fewer and fewer new antibiotics due to lack of financial incentives¹¹（激励，奖励） , meaning that alternative sources of new drugs are much needed. Mr Lee explained why it is unsurprising that insects secrete¹²（藏匿，分泌） their own antimicrobials（抗菌剂，杀菌剂） . "Insects often live in unsanitary（不卫生的，不健康的） and unhygienic environments where they encounter many different types of bacteria. It is therefore logical that they have developed ways of protecting themselves against micro-organisms," he explained.