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In a new article published in Frontiers in Microbiology, researchers at the Ineos Oxford Institute for antimicrobial research (IOI) have investigated how K. Pneumoniae gains new genetic traits that affect the severity and lethality of its infections, as well as antimicrobial resistance (AMR) traits, to produce hypervirulent and drug-resistant strains that are increasingly difficult to treat. In carbapenem-resistant, hypervirulent K. Pneumoniae (CR-hv-KP) strains investigated by IOI researchers, some of the traits shared by MGEs have the following effects: Enhancing production of capsules 'Capsules' are polymers that exist near the cell wall of a bacteria, which help them resist attacks from our immune systems. K. Pneumoniae typically releases the genotoxin colibactin, and MGEs can share genes that producing more of this toxin to damage human cells even more, posing a greater threat to our health Promoting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) As well as carrying these hyper-virulence traits between bacteria, MGEs can transfer drug-resistant genes between bacterial strains. The combination of these traits into a single strain of bacteria creates a true 'superbug', capable of persisting for a long time on surfaces and in the environment, rapidly spreading through settings like hospitals, and causing severe and harmful infections.