Akin to many outcomes of human innovation, we’ve managed to run antibiotics back into the ground within a mere century. Penicillin was the first great gift of mother nature to mankind, an antibiotic synthesized by some mold to wage war against bacteria. Why she decided to bestow anything upon us is a mystery, perhaps it seemed the quickest way to rid this holiest and greatest of plagues from this earth. And, well, it just might be the outcome. Antibiotics provided a way to prevent the worst phenomena, human suffering; and, in doing so, allowed us to continue our pursuit of happiness, also know as suburban life, full of all the gadgets and gizmos of convenience. So, what are antibiotics and how have we managed to turn a blessing into potential extinction?
It wouldn’t be wrong to call antibiotics the weapons of warfare of the microbial world. Life is about surviving, no matter how big or small you may be. We, or they, survive by acquiring the necessities of life. But, they, or we, have the same requirements for life. Inevitably, these circumstances demand competition, even in the highly intellectual homo sapiens, competition continues to be rampant. Don’t worry though, it’s all natural, 100% organic real life. I digress. Little organisms utilize different types of molecules (proteins, nucleic acids, lipids) to either inhibit or destroy fellow competitors to ensure that their own species can get what they need. Alexander Fleming was the first to realize this and consider its potential use. With time, scientist figured out how to produce these antibiotics in large quantities, and there began human’s use of tens of thousands of years of evolutionary development to fight off infection. First used against Staphylococcus, penicillin was then modified to fight off different species and strains of bacteria, and other types of antibiotics were discovered, too.
As described in a paper investigating antibiotic abuse, bacteria, like any other organism, are subject to mutation. These mutations can confer a resistance to some particular antibiotic, and if that be the case, this new strain will survive better and propagate… you know, evolution. Two facts may escape those without knowledge on this matter: bacteria breed like rabbits… times a million, in a matter of hours, you may have millions of bacteria on hand (or agar plate); also, bacteria are capable of transferring genetic material, like telling your friend a cheat to win at cards or dice. Skipping over almost a hundred years, we’ve misused and abused these antibiotics to the point where many of these bacteria are becoming resistant to all available antibiotics. This is a natural process — the development of resistance — but we’ve sped up the affair exponentially. To name a few reasons for this development, antibiotic prescriptions are often halted by the patient before finishing the dose or not taking them in a timely manner; antibiotics are used in livestock feed to promote growth (and prevent disease), which then comes out in manure and so entering our fertilizers and ground water; additionally, antibiotics are used for viral infections, yet these medicines specifically fend of bacteria and are innately ineffective against viruses.
One such bacteria that has developed resistance is Escherichia coli. A study showed that E. coli have now become resistant to fosfomycin. This antibiotic is considered broad-spectrum, meaning that it is effective against many types of bacteria. E. coli, however, has begun to synthesize a molecule that deactivates fosfomycin, called extended-spectrum β-lactamases. Not only has E. coli developed resistance against other drugs, but many other organisms are becoming antibiotic-resistant as well.
To compound the issue, a recent study showed that bacteria like to grow on another byproduct of human kind’s convenient lifestyle, plastic. What are called microplastics, small building blocks of the plastics you’re familiar with, and some that you’re not so familiar with, have found their merry way into the oceans of our planet. They travel mainly through groundwater to rivers, from rivers to the seas. The small deposits come from plastic pollutants and synthetic materials used for clothing that wash off in the washing machine. The researchers investigated the prevalence of “superbugs” on these microplastics relative to uncontaminated water. It seems that plastic offers bacteria a place to attach and grow and form biofilms (essentially thick, mucous films that bacteria secrete).
In conclusion, our conveniences of life, fat cows, cheap clothing, and plastic bags (often used ONLY to carry groceries from the store to your car one time), are unbeknownst to many fostering a mortal enemy.
BillyBiome 