Quest for Antibiotics from Soil Cooties

The goal of my research project was to find possible antibiotics from soil microbes. This is important because as bacteria become more resistant to our antibiotics, we need to discover more to keep up. First, I collected a soil sample and serially diluted it to see the bacteria and any potential candidates. From there, I collected a few candidates that created inhibition zones and tested them against various safe relatives of ESKAPE pathogens. One candidate, which I named Natashly, was able to inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis. Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis to identify the soil microbe, I researched what Natashly has that could potentially help fight the ESKAPE pathogen Staphylococcus aureus and eventually MRSA.