Start Date
27-4-2023 12:00 PM
Document Type
Poster
Description
Throughout our healthcare, the problem of bacteria becoming resistant to even our strongest antibiotics has become a front-line topic. Previous misuse or overprescription of common antibiotics has created super bacteria nearly immune to our current treatments. Soil samples have long been the source of antibiotic-producing bacteria as they are highly condensed with many types of bacteria trying to survive oftentimes accompanied by the production of antibiotics in self-defense. This research aims to discover a bacterium that produces novel antibiotics against ESKAPE pathogens. The soil sample chosen came from the outskirts of a decaying garden in hopes that the dead plant material provided an optimal environment for bacteria. 13 original candidates were chosen however, four had become overgrown with a known bacteria Bacillus mycoides, thus unable to provide for further testing. Two candidates found within this soil sample were observed to have inhibited the growth of at least two ESKAPE safe relatives. Of these two candidates VS4, which inhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli, was chosen for further analysis.
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Soil Bacteria Producing Possible Novel Antibiotics to Fight Antibiotic Resistance
Throughout our healthcare, the problem of bacteria becoming resistant to even our strongest antibiotics has become a front-line topic. Previous misuse or overprescription of common antibiotics has created super bacteria nearly immune to our current treatments. Soil samples have long been the source of antibiotic-producing bacteria as they are highly condensed with many types of bacteria trying to survive oftentimes accompanied by the production of antibiotics in self-defense. This research aims to discover a bacterium that produces novel antibiotics against ESKAPE pathogens. The soil sample chosen came from the outskirts of a decaying garden in hopes that the dead plant material provided an optimal environment for bacteria. 13 original candidates were chosen however, four had become overgrown with a known bacteria Bacillus mycoides, thus unable to provide for further testing. Two candidates found within this soil sample were observed to have inhibited the growth of at least two ESKAPE safe relatives. Of these two candidates VS4, which inhibited Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli, was chosen for further analysis.
Comments
The faculty mentor for this project was Heather Seitz, Biology.