Fighting Antibiotic Resistance with the Discovery of Antibiotic-Producing Soil Microbes in an Abandoned Garden Bed

Antibiotics are used daily to combat infections; however, many pathogenic bacteria are building resistance to them, causing limitations in treatment options available. ESKAPE pathogens are infectious agents that contribute to the high mortality rates seen in many clinical settings. As these pathogenic bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics, people are put at risk due to a lack of new resources that potentially exist but have not yet been discovered. In the Tiny Earth research project, bacteria were isolated from soil and tested to see if they produce antibiotics that inhibit the safe ESKAPEs. 1 out of 11 candidates showed inhibition against the safe ESKAPE Escherichia coli. This safe ESKAPE is relative to and shares similar metabolic properties to the ESKAPE pathogen Klebsiella pneumonia. This candidate could potentially help find new treatments for the infections caused by the pathogen. This is one of many candidates found by many Tiny Earth researchers contributing to this project.