The bacteria isolated from the beard were found to be capable of killing the indicator strain and produce antibiotics themselves that could be used to fight antibiotic resistance.
Drug Resistance – Antibiotic or Antimicrobial Resistance
Drug resistance is often a problem in malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and hospital acquired diseases. Judicious use of antibiotics can control the problem.
Drug resistance is often a problem in malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and hospital acquired diseases. Judicious use of antibiotics can control the problem.
‘The overuse and misuse of antibiotics have spurred disease-causing bacteria to develop resistance to most of the drugs prescribed to treat them.’
The University conducted experiments, based on an earlier theory that most beards contain faeces; the bacteria believed to help produce a medicine to treat the resistant infections. The researchers collected about a hundred bacteria isolates taken from 20 beards, around 25% of these showed antibiotic activity against their indicator strain. The bacteria could kill indicator strains such as E.coli and Candida albicans (yeast infections) and MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).
“What we do is grid out the individual bacteria on an agar plate which has been pre-inoculated with an indicator strain. And then we see if that indicator strain can grow right up to the individual colonies from the beards or from anywhere else that we've got these bacteria from, and we found, quite surprisingly, that the beard isolates were quite capable of killing the indicator strain that we have; showing that they actually produce antibiotics themselves”, said microbiologist Dr. Adam Roberts from UCL.
New Research Speculates On The Rosetta Stone for Antibiotic Resistance
A novel technique to confront the problem of antibiotic resistance is published in JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments.
A novel technique to confront the problem of antibiotic resistance is published in JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments.
Source-Medindia
In MRSA, Receptor Proteins may Hold Clues to Antibiotic Resistance
At Imperial College London, scientists have identified four new proteins that act as receptors for an essential signalling molecule in bacteria such as MRSA.
At Imperial College London, scientists have identified four new proteins that act as receptors for an essential signalling molecule in bacteria such as MRSA.
Antibiotic Resistance Pattern Stable Among Children in the US
Antibiotic resistance patterns in children have been stable over the last seven years in the United States.
Antibiotic resistance patterns in children have been stable over the last seven years in the United States.
