Bacteria That Eat Antibiotics

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04/04/2008

Apr. 04, 2008

Bacteria That Eat Antibiotics

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It sounds like something out of science fiction -- instead of being killed by antibiotics, some bacteria instead eat antibiotics for lunch. Researchers report this week in the journal Science that they've found a group of bacterial living in soil that can consume both natural and synthetic antibiotic compounds as their sole source of carbon-based food. The researchers found several hundred species of bacteria with the antibiotic-eating ability, some of which are related to bacteria capable of causing disease in humans and animals. In this segment, Ira talks with one of the researchers about the work and whether the finding is cause for concern.

Produced by Annette Heist, Senior Producer

Guests

George M. Church
Director of the Personal Genome Project

Professor of Genetics, Harvard
Medical School

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Apr. 04, 2008