Antibiotics are one of the greatest things ever discovered by humans. They've saved countless lives, they're the cornerstone of our modern "not dropping dead of minor infections" society, they were discovered by accident and they're not going to work forever.

"Superbugs" aren't tiny S-logoed avengers out to save microbial innocents from bacterial Lex Luthors: they're disease-causing bacteria which have become resistant to our antibiotic countermeasures.

Researchers at University College London have developed a tool which could help us stay ahead in the antibiotic arms race.

A nanoscale springboard system has been designed to rapidly screen potential hunter-killer chemicals.

The device consists of a sheet of silicon covered in tiny nanotech levers which reflect laser light. The other side of the lever is covered with mucopeptides taken from the surface of the target bacteria.