The Search for New Antibiotics in the Soil

Antibiotic resistance, due to the overuse and misuse of current antibiotics, is creating a public health issue worldwide. In the early 1900s, before antibiotics were discovered, infectious diseases were the leading cause of death. Compared to findings in 2010, it was shown that the combined findings of antibiotics and vaccines have significantly reduced the mortality of infectious disease. Many antibiotics have been discovered by culturing soil or fungal microbes; but only approximately one percent of bacteria have been cultured. This means there are many other antibiotic compounds yet to be discovered. Microorganisms found in the soil secrete antibiotic compounds because the microorganisms living in the soil are in constant competition against one another. This competition allows for the perfect environment for some microorganisms to evolve and inhibit the growth of others to make use of the space and nutrients available for themselves. There is no antibiotic available that is capable of killing all species of bacteria, therefore it is extremely important to continue finding new compounds that can be used in the medical field. Soil is used because there is such a wide variety of microbes found in the soil. The environment and environmental factors affect the microbial growth in each sample. I tested a dozen different candidates and was unable to find one that inhibited any of the six clinically important microbes it was tested against. I have adopted a potential candidate from a classmate that has shown to inhibit at least one clinically important microbe