Robot‑assisted chemistry spots metal‑based antibiotics, with iridium as a standout

Researchers used a liquid‑handling robot to perform click chemistry, creating 672 metal complexes by combining 192 ligands with five metals. Screening revealed notable antibacterial activity for iridium and rhenium complexes against Staphylococcus aureus, with six compounds selected for further study. One iridium complex showed 50–100× higher activity against bacteria than toxicity to human cells, a promising sign for metal‑based antibiotics but requiring further drug‑like optimization and in‑vivo testing; AI and expanded libraries are planned to guide next steps.