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Is there any indication that the organisms we have "stolen" antibiotic molecules from might become themselves suffer disruption from bacteria that they can no l
by taliesinb 13y ago
Is there any indication that the organisms we have "stolen" antibiotic molecules from might become themselves suffer disruption from bacteria that they can no longer kill? Fungi are involved in many symbiotic relationships that we indirectly depend on, for example the fixation of nitrogen for plant growth.
One imagines a future in which we have a dwindling supply of biodiversity to 'sacrifice' in order to keep ourselves safe from bacterial onslaught.
Not unlike oil -- millions of years to produce, but destroyed in a few generations of exponential human growth.
- mtdewcmu 13y agoI've wondered about that. But the antibiotics we use medically are only a small fraction of the antibiotics in nature, because the others are toxic or otherwise unsuitable to use as drugs. So the fungi probably have backups. It might make sense to speak of an antibiotic peak, like we speak of peak oil. I wonder if you could draw the same kind of curve.
- PeterisP 13y agoWe're using only a subset of antibiotics that doesn't kill people as well - I'm not a biologist, but the cells are different enought that there should be many chemicals that are safe for fungi, kill bacteria, but aren't usable for people.