Scientists Are Searching In The Dirt For A New Antibiotic

What's beneath the dirt may hold the next gold, at least metaphorically speaking. Scientists believe that the next antibiotic could be buried beneath the soil.

Researchers at Rockefeller University found that a compound called Teixobactin (TIKES-so-BAK-tin) wiped out bacteria that could cause dangerous infections in some, including anthrax, tuberculosis (TB) and strep.

This potential drug is safe for use in animals. Findings revealed that the bacteria helped kill the germs that cause strep throat in mice models.

As resistance is making many antibiotics useless, it's proving especially true for drugs that have been used for decades or more. Furthermore, as much of the world is becoming resistant to antibiotics, large numbers of people are dying from the inability of antibiotics to cure them. TB is among them.

Members of the Drugs from Dirt project extracted DNA from 185 different soilt samples and compared the DNA of lab-grown bacteria to help determine which soil and micro-fauna produced the widest range of important and interesting chemical combinations.

Researchers believe that Teixobactin could be promising as a germ-fighting ingredient. However, more research will be needed before it will be ready to use.

"Teixobactin will represent a new class of antibiotics," he added. Furthermore, as this compound is so different from other antibiotics, he believes that bacteria will not quickly become resistant to it.

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal Nature.

For more great nature science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).