Screening Microorganisms in Soil for Antibiotics
Location
CoLab, COM 196
Start Date
30-4-2026 10:45 AM
Document Type
Poster
Description
Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern that poses a serious threat to public health worldwide. Some bacteria infections have become increasingly antibiotic resistant making it extremely difficult or in some cases impossible to treat with our current antibiotics. Due to the lack of new antibiotic research and discovery since the “golden age” of antibiotic discovery which was from the early 1940s and the 1960s, the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria continues to grow while the amount of antibiotics does not. The purpose of my research is to identify soil bacteria that may produce antibiotics. By screening a soil sample from my backyard I have found a species of bacteria that seems to inhibit the growth of Bacillus subtilis as well as Staphylococcus epidermidis which is the safe relative of Staphylococcus aureus. From my soil screening I discovered a bacteria I named Bean, which when cultured alongside S. epidermidis, Bean produced clear zones of inhibition, suggesting the production of antibiotics. These findings support the potential of environmental soil bacteria as a source of antibiotics.
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Screening Microorganisms in Soil for Antibiotics
CoLab, COM 196
Antibiotic resistance is a major global health concern that poses a serious threat to public health worldwide. Some bacteria infections have become increasingly antibiotic resistant making it extremely difficult or in some cases impossible to treat with our current antibiotics. Due to the lack of new antibiotic research and discovery since the “golden age” of antibiotic discovery which was from the early 1940s and the 1960s, the number of antibiotic resistant bacteria continues to grow while the amount of antibiotics does not. The purpose of my research is to identify soil bacteria that may produce antibiotics. By screening a soil sample from my backyard I have found a species of bacteria that seems to inhibit the growth of Bacillus subtilis as well as Staphylococcus epidermidis which is the safe relative of Staphylococcus aureus. From my soil screening I discovered a bacteria I named Bean, which when cultured alongside S. epidermidis, Bean produced clear zones of inhibition, suggesting the production of antibiotics. These findings support the potential of environmental soil bacteria as a source of antibiotics.
Comments
The faculty mentor for this project was Jamie Cunningham.