Bacterial resistance wars

Bacteria are incredible life forms. They are microscopic, unicellular organisms that have evolved over billions of years and thrive in the most inhospitable and extreme environments. Some live under the ice sheets of the Antarctic, others in the hot springs of Yellowstone Park, and some inhabit the waters of the Dead Sea — one of the saltiest places on Earth. Hence, it should not be too surprising that bacteria quickly adapt to new adverse conditions. Bacteria can become resistant to many of the antibiotics used to control their growth and here we explore new ways to address this problem.

Emily Furlong and Jennifer Martin

Coloured scanning electron microscope image of a colony of bacteria. ×40 000.

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Although best known for causing disease, not all bacteria are our enemies. Indeed, many bacteria play important roles in the Earth’s biosphere (see BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES REVIEW, Vol. 24, No. 4, pp. 10–12). Moreover, the approximately 500 species of bacteria estimated to live in the human gastrointestinal tract, the so-called ‘intestinal flora’, produce vitamins, protect against harmful bacteria and help process and digest foods.

However, we all know that pathogenic bacteria can cause deadly human illnesses, such as tuberculosis, cholera, tetanus, pneumonia, typhoid fever, meningitis, haemolytic uraemia and septicaemia. Overall, bacteria are responsible for about half of all human disease.