Meds from Soil Microbes

A talk with Dr. Mary Stromberger, Professor of Soil Microbiology, Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. “ Many of these bacteria that we are studying now produce unique compounds and we are discovering new pharmaceutical compounds from these organisms such as antibiotics so they have a lot of value to humans. In the soil there are microbes that are competing against each other for resources, either for space on a plant root or they are competing for food. During that competition some organisms produce antibiotics to fight off other organisms and that allows them to establish themselves and be successful and keep other organisms at bay. Through that microbes produce certain chemicals that allow them to antagonize or fight off other organisms. There is a famous antibiotic called streptomycin that targets a certain type of bacteria not only in the soil but in humans as well. By looking at the interactions that microbes have with other organisms in the soil and looking at what chemicals microbes produce, that helps us learn how we can use these chemicals to fight off diseases and infectious agents. Streptomycin attacks bacteria but did you know that it also attacks the inner hair cells and renders anyone who takes it deaf. did you know that? I did not.