Finding our antibiotics

As our bacteria continues to evolve and develop antibiotic resistance, it is critical for us to keep searching for potential antibacterial organisms that could fight against pathogenic species. Soil sample is one of the environmental sources where microbes with antibiotic compound can be found due to the competitive conditions. I brought some soil sample from my backyard to the lab and performed a serial dilution. After the incubation period, I carefully transferred 12 different colonies that showed the zone of inhibition to a master plate for further observation. Then, I transferred all the 12 colonies to each plate with 6 safe relatives, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baylyi, Pseudomonas putida and Enterobacter aerogenes. After the incubation period, I observed the zone of inhibition form on #8 and #9 colonies on the plate which Pseudomonas putida was applied. This project could save many lives from disease-causing pathogens, and we must continue to search for new antibiotic organisms.