Identification of Antibiotic-producing Microbes from Soil

Abstract

The ongoing rise of antibiotic-resistant microbes is a major concern in the medical field. Many pathogenic bacteria that were once vulnerable to common antibiotics have developed resistance, posing significant challenges to medicine and public health. Infections caused by these resistant bacteria are both expensive and challenging to treat. To address this growing crisis, we aim to identify new antibiotic-producing microbes isolated from soil samples obtained from beneath a wood pile. Following the collection of the soil, testing was done to determine the presence of any substances produced that either inhibit or kill any of the tester strains used (Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis). We have identified three strains of microbes that show evidence of producing an antimicrobial substance. We are working to identify these strains and determine if the antimicrobial substance they are producing is novel.