Gerry Wright, a microbiologist at McMaster University, came to New Mexico all the way from Ontario to preform experiments on the bacteria in the Lechuguilla cave. After culturing the walls and collecting the various bacteria in the cave, he doused them with different drugs that doctors have used for 70 years that can kill bacterial infections. But they bacteria from the cave wouldn't die. They were resistant to 14 antibiotics.
"Antibiotics were introduced in the mid-1900s. Each time a new drug was introduced, it would take years before bacteria that could resist it became common."
This is very strange because usually a microbe has to be exposed to the antibiotic to become resistant. But they bacteria in the cave have been "cut off from the world" for centuries; never exposed to antibiotics. Scientists believe that antibiotic-resistance genes are an ancient part of nature.
A new study from Dr. Nesme shows that these antibiotic resistant genes can be found in all environments around the world; from Antarctica to the bottom of the ocean. The question then arose, "If these genes are everywhere, what are they doing in bacteria?" Bacteria actually make their own antibiotics to fend off competitors, and can fend off their own poison. Bacteria use these resistant genes that have nothing to do with antibiotics. What these bacteria use these genes for is unknown.
This article was really cool to me. Writing these blogs help me learn something new about microbes every time. I wonder if scientists will ever find out what else bacteria is using the resistance genes for. The article was very well written and provided a ton of information, including two different studies from two different scientists. Way cool.
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/science/antibiotic-resistant-germs-lying-in-wait.html?action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults&mabReward=relbias%3Ar&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%23%2Fcave%2Bmicrobes%2F
