Phleomycin is an antibiotic and antitumor agent commonly used in molecular biology and life science research. It is known for its ability to cleave DNA, making it useful for studies involving DNA damage and repair mechanisms.
  Phleomycin resistance is conferred by the Sh ble gene from Streptoalloteichus hindustanus which encodes a protein that binds to phleomycin, inhibiting its DNA cleavage activity.