D.W. From the Ground, Not Arthur

Antibiotic resistance is an extremely pressing challenge in modern medicine. It has taken a toll on the healthcare system for years, resulting in certain bacteria being resistant to the drugs themselves that are used to help people who are sick. The Tiny Earth Project is a promising solution to this problem. Through this project, students identify different microorganisms found in unique soil samples collected themselves. Using ESKAPE pathogens’ safe relatives, we can do screenings on the bacteria to determine inhibition between the microorganism and the specific strain. The microbe that grew from the soil I collected is named D.W. The soil containing D.W. was collected from my backyard under a large tree. Eleven other colonies grew from this sample. I chose D.W. because she developed a distinct zone of inhibition between herself and the safe relative strain called Staphylococcus epidermidis. A microbe like D.W. has the potential to be very beneficial in the process of the fight against antibiotic resistance