Bacteria Can Transfer Genes to Other Bacteria
Posted on February 25, 2008 Comments (2)
From page 115 of Good Gems, Bad Germs:
Microbiologists of the 1950’s did not appreciate the stunning extent to which bacteria swap genes… In 1959 Japanese hospitals experience outbreaks of multidrug-resistant bacterial dysentery. The shigella bacteria, which caused the outbreaks, were shrugging off four different classes of previously effective antibiotics: sulfonamides, streptomycins, chloramphenicols, and tetracyclines… In fact, the Japanese researches found it quite easy to transfer multidrug resistance from E. coli to shingella and back again simply by mixing resistant and susceptible strains together in a test tube.
Related: Blocking Bacteria From Passing Genes to Other Bacteria – Bacteria generous with their genes – Disrupting the Replication of Bacteria – articles on the overuse of anti-biotics – Raised Without Antibiotics
Posted by curiouscat
Categories: Antibiotics, Health Care, Life Science, Research, Science, Students
Tags: Antibiotics, bacteria, dna, evolution, genetics, microbes, science facts
Categories: Antibiotics, Health Care, Life Science, Research, Science, Students
Tags: Antibiotics, bacteria, dna, evolution, genetics, microbes, science facts
2 Responses to “Bacteria Can Transfer Genes to Other Bacteria”
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April 5th, 2008 @ 1:16 pm
“The bacteria didn’t just survive in the antibiotics, they consumed them… and found that every site contained bacteria, including relatives of Shigella and the notorious E. coli that could survive solely on antibiotics…”
November 16th, 2008 @ 12:05 pm
“Yet some people are resistant: they become infected but not ill. Wiersinga found a genetic cause for this resistance. He discovered which toll receptor can fend off B. pseudomallei…”