Soil And Human Bacteria Recently Swapped At Least Seven Antibiotic-Resistance Genes
Tuesday, September 4, 2012 - 19:50
in Biology & Nature
Soil bacteria and bacteria that cause human diseases have recently swapped at least seven antibiotic-resistance genes, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.Most of the antibiotics used to fight illness today originated from the soil. Bacteria use the antibiotics, in part, as weapons to compete with each other for resources and survival. Scientists have long acknowledged that gives environmental bacteria an evolutionary incentive to find ways to beat antibiotics. read more