BACTERIA that are not merely resistant to antibiotics, but feed on them are widespread in soil, say researchers who have discovered them by chance.
A team of microbiologists led by George Church of Harvard University were hunting for soil bacteria that can turn plant waste into biofuels. They grew soil samples in pure antibiotics as a control and found instead that there were hundreds of species that thrived on various types of antibiotics. “We expected not to find a lot of bacteria that could eat antibiotics for breakfast,” Church says. “We were kind of surprised” (Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1155157).
Antibiotic-resistant…
