In a recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a team of researchers announced the discovery of 18 previously unknown species of bacteria belonging to the Enterococcus type. These bacteria were found to contain hundreds of new genes, shedding light on the origins of antibiotic resistance and offering potential insights into curbing these infections.
Enterococci are known to cause multidrug-resistant infections, particularly in post-surgery and hospitalized patients, contributing to over $30 billion in additional healthcare costs annually. The research team, led by Michael S. Gilmore, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Mass Eye and Ear, and Ashlee Earl, Ph.D., director of the Bacterial Genomics Group at Broad, hopes that the findings will enhance understanding of how resistance genes spread to hospital bacteria, posing a threat to human health.
Antibiotics, such as penicillin, were discovered in the 1920s as compounds naturally produced by microbes in the soil. Gilmore highlights that antibiotic-producing microbes thrive in decaying leaves and plant matter on the forest floor, contributing to the distinct smell of forest soil.
To collect samples containing bacteria of the Enterococcus type, the research team assembled an international group of scientists, including elite adventurers, to explore remote regions worldwide. Samples were gathered from various locations, including penguins in sub-Antarctic waters, duiker and elephants in Uganda, insects, bivalves, sea turtles, and wild turkeys in Brazil and the United States, kestrel and vultures in Mongolia, wallaby, swans, and wombats in Australia, as well as zoo animals and wild birds in Europe.
Previous collection efforts by the team have led to the discovery of new classes of bacterial toxins and have demonstrated the potential for uncovering valuable insights into the microbial world.
