Indiana University Jan 31 2026 Antimicrobial resistance - when bacteria and fungi defend themselves against the drugs design to kill them - is an urgent threat to global public health, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To combat this threat, the Gerdt Lab at Indiana University Bloomington studies how to weaken bacteria's defenses against viruses. "Bacteria get sick, too," said J.P. Gerdt, assistant professor of chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU