Scientists have known for decades that organisms as diverse as insects, frogs, pigs and humans make natural protein-based antibiotics to ward off microbes.

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Companies still in pursuit are turning back to old-fashioned chemical tinkering and screening natural products to unearth new antibiotics.

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DeGrado, with the help of a powerful supercomputer simulation, has created new antibiotics that mimic natural ones but are far simpler to produce and more stable.

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The 125-child study was designed to show that ProBugs would reduce the diarrhea that can occur from antibiotics, which kill off natural helpful bacteria in the gut.

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But DeGrado's interest in creating artificial molecules that mimic more complex natural ones may have a more immediate payoff: a powerful new generation of antibiotics.

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Most efforts to prevent their spread have focused on finding new antibiotics or improving hygiene, but Bill Keevil of the University of Southampton, UK, believes that the natural antibacterial properties of copper could be a simple and effective way to combat them.

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