Gentamicin

Gentamicin is a broad-spectrum aminoglycoside[?] antibiotic, and can treat many different types of bacterial infections.

Gentamicin works by binding to a site on the bacterial ribosome, causing the genetic code to be misread.

Gentamicin can cause deafness in genetically suceptible individuals. These individuals have a normally harmless mutation in their DNA, that allows the gentamicin to affect their cells. The cells of the ear are particularly sensitive to this.