Entering the Natural Antibiotic Arms Race

Entering the Natural Antibiotic Arms Race

Antibiotics are naturally made by fungi and bacteria to compete for space and nutrients. Antibiotic resistance is a natural defense. Antibiotic resistance has become an issue because we have misused antibiotics and thus increased the exposure of bacteria to antibiotics.  Medical use of antibiotics to kill pathogens is similar to being shot with your own stolen gun. Although we synthesize and purify antibiotics for human use, antibiotics originate in microbes. Life as a microbe is tough. Conditions in the soil are ever changing. Food and water are scarce. Microbes only move and reproduce if enough water and food are present. The rotting body of a housefly may seem trivial to humans. For microbes, it’s the biggest buffet in Vegas. It’s every microbe for herself and those with any trick up their pili or thallus to feed and divide faster to fill up the habitat space are the winners. Enter toxins that kill bacteria – antibiotics – literally meaning “against” “life”. Bacteria or fungi make and release these toxic substances into the environment to kill their competitors. The microbes making the toxins often protect themselves by targeting cell structures that they don’t have, but their competitors do. Similar to how Superman

The Secret is Out!

The Secret is Out!

In an (Invisible) Galaxy (Not) so Far Away The mirrored, twinkling hall of the exhibit The Secret World Inside You transports you to the fantastical world of your microbial self. This new exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York educates young and old about the microbes that live in and on each of us and outnumber our human cells. What are these organisms? How do we get them? Where do they live? What do they do? How do they influence our health and behavior?  Curator Susan Perkins, PhD kindly invited and toured me, another science mom friend (Robin Munro), and our oldest daughters (ages 7 and 8) through the exhibit. We were all astounded at the fantastic features and information in the exhibit. It was one of those rare exhibits that appeals to all ages. Microbial Fun for Everyone The three years of planning by curators Susan Perkins, PhD and Rob DeSalle, PhD and AMNH staff are obvious in the attention to detail, scientific accuracy, and engaging content of The Secret World Inside You exhibit. The curators have developed the perfect exhibit to bring everyone together to this common table to learn about the quickly

The Vaginal Microbiome: “Healthy” Differs with Ethnicity

The Vaginal Microbiome: “Healthy” Differs with Ethnicity

What is a “normal and healthy” microbiome seems to differ among individuals and ethnic groups.  One of the goals with the Human Microbiome Project (HMP) was to characterize the healthy microbiome of different human body sites. The idea being that microbiome science needed to have a baseline of “normal and healthy” to compare to “dysbiotic and ill”. The ~200 individuals sampled for the HMP provided a surprising insight – there is no one healthy microbiome for a given site. Just as there are healthy people of a range of heights from 4’8” to 7’8”, so are there a range of healthy microbiome communities. However, the one body site thought to have a distinct microbiome across all women was the vaginal microbiome.

A handful of diversity

A handful of diversity

The photo above from the American Society of Microbiology caused a mix of reactions on social and other media a few weeks ago. Tasha Sturm, a microbiology lab technician at Cabrillo College, had her 8 year old son who had been playing outside and petting his dog put his hand on a large plate of bacterial media. She incubated it for a week and has a beautiful photograph of the results. Reactions to the photo range from “ugh – this is why we wash our hands” to “wow – how beautiful” and “how can I do the same thing?” I was thrilled that many people asked how to culture bacteria at home. Not everyone has access to laboratory media and autoclaves, but you can make some in your own kitchen to conduct your own experiments. Alternatively, you can purchase plates through Carolina Biological or even Amazon. See the Amazon affiliate links below for two different types of common nutrient rich media that will grow many environmental and human bacteria (Lysogeny/Luria Broth and Tryptic Soy Agar). Over this long holiday weekend, we’ll be swabbing and culturing different surfaces and conducting experiments the kids design. I’ll post photos next week. If YOU

Gut Check: The microbiology game

Gut Check: The microbiology game

When did your child last give you the black plague? A fecal transplant? Mine did the other night when we played– Gut Check: The Microbiology Game. A fabulous fun, educational, and scientifically correct board game. Here’s a typical conversation: “Mama, I’m going to give you a fungal infection.” “That’s fine – with 4 beneficial microbes in my gut it won’t affect me.” “hmmm – well, if I use the antibiotic tetracycline on you – you’ll lose half of your helpful bacteria – then just wait till the next round! ” Two moves in Gut Check. Four lessons learned by my 6 year old daughter: 1) high bacterial diversity has a protective effect against pathogens, 2) the word “beneficial” means helpful, 3) not all bacteria are pathogens, and 4) antibiotics kill all bacteria – helpful and harmful. WOAH –isn’t that just awesome?!

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