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Updated: Jul 24, 2026

High-throughput Screening of Chemical Compounds to Elucidate Their Effects on Bacterial Persistence
Published on: February 23, 2021
Unraveling persistent bacteria: Formation, niches, and eradication strategies
Zibo Yin1, Diandian Huang1, Elian M A Kuhn2
1State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029 PR China.
Abstract:
Persistent bacteria (persisters) are phenotypic variants that emerge either randomly or in response to a range of adverse environmental conditions. Persistence represents a state whereby a subpopulation of microorganisms can spontaneously enter a "dormant" state in response to environmental factors, while simultaneously exhibiting elevated tolerance to antimicrobial agents. This review provides the current definition of bacterial persistence and summarizes the mechanisms of persisters formation as well as the various niches of bacterial persistence encountered in clinical practice. Strategies targeting persisters are outlined, including but not limited to direct killing, awakening of persistent bacteria, combined clearance, and inhibition of persistence formation, and we conclude by proposing challenges and solutions for addressing bacterial persistence in current clinical practice.
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