A New Antibiotic Kills Pathogens - 875 Words

Antibiotics are secondary metabolites expressed by a microorganism against other microorganisms as a means to compete for limited resources and are thought to have originated from soil-dwelling microbes (D’costa). Many of our current antibiotic therapies were derived directly from soil-dwelling microorganisms, including but not limited to Bacillus, Streptomyces, and Penicillium (cite). Therefore, it is logical that the search for novel antibiotic therapies should continue with soil microbes. Unfortunately, isolation of potential antibiotic drugs from soil microorganisms remains a challenge. Over 99% of microbial life is incapable of being cultured via traditional methods (Lewis). This means that new culturing approaches are required to isolate potential antibiotic producers. Fortunately, progress has recently been made in this endeavor. The methods that follow have been derived from a paper published in Nature in January 2015, titled â€Å"A new antibiotic kills pathogens wit hout detectable resistance.† Utilizing a new means of culturing soil microbes, researchers discovered a previously uncharacterized antibiotic, teixobactin, derived from a ÃŽ ²-proteobacteria called Eleftheria terrae (Ling). The techniques utilized in this paper have shown that there are untapped resources for antimicrobial therapies yet to be discovered. Soil samples can be taken from various geographic locations and depths. Utilizing a culturing device called an iChip, researchers can better replicate theShow MoreRelatedThe Human Immune System Essay629 Words   |  3 Pagesbody to fight diseases, as well as pathogens, the disease-causing factors. It is mainly composed of the tonsils and adenoids, the lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels, the spleen, appendix, and bone marrow. The main purpose of the immune system is to assist the body in its struggle to maintain optimal health. The immune system depends on the body’s structures to help it function. For instance, the skin acts as the â€Å"body’s first line of defense.† If a pathogen finds a breach in the skin barrierRead MoreEssay on Practical Applications of Evolutionary Biology1484 Words   |  6 Pagesshape the theory of evolution which holds as much weight as the theory of relativity per se. Evolutionary biology is the science devoted to understanding how populations change through time in response to modifications of their environment and how new species come into being by studying adaptation and diversity (Freeman and Herron 2004). Evolutionary biology has proved that all organisms have evolved from a common ancestor over the last 3.5 billion years. There is a common misconception that evolutionRead MoreAntibiotic Resistant Bacteria Essay1109 Words   |  5 PagesAntibiotic Resistant Bacteria â€Å"Antibiotics is the name given to the group of chemicals, particularly in medicine, that stop or inhibit the growth of, microorganisms such as fungi, bacteria, and parasites, or that kill the microorganism. They are, however, completely ineffective against viruses. There are two kinds of antibiotics, namely; bactericides, which interfere with the cell wall or contents of the bacteria, thereby killing it, and bacteriostatics, which prevent the bacteria from reproducingRead MoreNew Line Of Therapies Against Pathogenic Bacteria1487 Words   |  6 PagesIn this age of antibiotic resistance, there is an emergence for new line of therapies against pathogenic bacteria. Antibiotics are semi-synthetic or synthetic compounds that target specific bacterial molecules and cause suppression or killing of the pathogen. 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