Bacteria Unearthed
Abstract
With the era of antibiotics coming to a close, new sources of antibiotics need to be found to combat antibiotic resistance. The rise of infectious bacteria resistant to our drugs is creating an uphill battle in the fight against disease. In the search for new antibiotics, bacteria remain an effective and viable source. Programs, like Tiny Earth, aid researchers in looking for new strains of bacteria to determine if they can be harnessed for antibiotic discovery. A global community of researchers collaborate to collect and study bacteria from local soil samples. Our collegiate group obtained a soil sample from local areas that houses many horses and other farm animals. The team was able to isolate 5 strains of bacteria of interest. These strains produce an antibiotic compound against relevant tester strains of bacteria. They have been sequenced to identify the genus of the organism. The bacterial genomes were then analyzed through anti-SMASH (a secondary metabolite database) to determine the likely antibiotic compound the organism may be producing. The analysis yielded several different metabolites with varying levels of novelty. Further chemical analysis is being done to learn more about the structure of the compounds produced.
Faculty Sponsors
Dr. Aarti Raja
Project Type
Event
Location
Alvin Sherman Library
Start Date
4-6-2021 12:00 PM
End Date
4-9-2021 12:00 PM
Bacteria Unearthed
Alvin Sherman Library
With the era of antibiotics coming to a close, new sources of antibiotics need to be found to combat antibiotic resistance. The rise of infectious bacteria resistant to our drugs is creating an uphill battle in the fight against disease. In the search for new antibiotics, bacteria remain an effective and viable source. Programs, like Tiny Earth, aid researchers in looking for new strains of bacteria to determine if they can be harnessed for antibiotic discovery. A global community of researchers collaborate to collect and study bacteria from local soil samples. Our collegiate group obtained a soil sample from local areas that houses many horses and other farm animals. The team was able to isolate 5 strains of bacteria of interest. These strains produce an antibiotic compound against relevant tester strains of bacteria. They have been sequenced to identify the genus of the organism. The bacterial genomes were then analyzed through anti-SMASH (a secondary metabolite database) to determine the likely antibiotic compound the organism may be producing. The analysis yielded several different metabolites with varying levels of novelty. Further chemical analysis is being done to learn more about the structure of the compounds produced.
