News

The pathogen C. diff -- the most common cause of health care-associated infectious diarrhea can use a compound that kills the human gut's resident microbes to survive and grow, giving it a competitive advantage in the infected gut. A team has discovered how C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) converts the poisonous compound 4- thiouracil, which could come from foods like broccoli, into a usable nutrient. Their findings increase understanding of the molecular drivers of C. diff infection and point to novel therapeutic strategies.