Scientists Searching At Bottom of Oceans for New Antibiotic Compounds
- 11 years ago
Scientists are searching the bottom of the oceans for antibiotic compounds.
Experts believe that the vast majority of the under water world remains unknown to us.
Now, scientists from Aberdeen University are looking in the unexplored trenches of the ocean for chemicals that they hope to be able to use as new antibiotic formulas.
The ocean trenches can be over 6 miles deep.
Life forms evolve differently in each one of the trenches, giving us a largely unknown world of chemicals to research.
Taking sediment samples from the deep ocean trenches, the international team of scientists will try to grow bacteria and fungi that have the potential to be turned into new forms of antibiotics.
If they find new treatments, they could be available to patients within ten years.
Many diseases and bacterial infections are becoming resistant to the antibiotics that are used in medicine today.
According to a 2011 report from the World Health Organization, “In the absence of urgent corrective and protective actions, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, kill unabated.”
Experts believe that the vast majority of the under water world remains unknown to us.
Now, scientists from Aberdeen University are looking in the unexplored trenches of the ocean for chemicals that they hope to be able to use as new antibiotic formulas.
The ocean trenches can be over 6 miles deep.
Life forms evolve differently in each one of the trenches, giving us a largely unknown world of chemicals to research.
Taking sediment samples from the deep ocean trenches, the international team of scientists will try to grow bacteria and fungi that have the potential to be turned into new forms of antibiotics.
If they find new treatments, they could be available to patients within ten years.
Many diseases and bacterial infections are becoming resistant to the antibiotics that are used in medicine today.
According to a 2011 report from the World Health Organization, “In the absence of urgent corrective and protective actions, the world is heading towards a post-antibiotic era, in which many common infections will no longer have a cure and, once again, kill unabated.”