In the face of increased accounts of superbugs and continuous antibiotic resistance, researchers are looking to the dirt for possible solutions, according to Healthline.
Sean Brady, PhD, microbiologist and associate professor at The Rockefeller University in New York City, recently conducted a study examining the diversity of life in soil samples, looking for undiscovered treatments.
This led to a discovery of a new molecule, mixed into antibiotics called malacidins, which killed several superbugs in laboratory rats without developing resistance.
"A significant fraction of the drugs we use today in the clinic, especially antibiotics, come from characterizing molecules that are produced by living things, particularly bacteria," Dr. Brady told Healthline.
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