An evaluation of co-culture parameters effecting antibiotic production in soil microbes

<p>The rise of infections caused by antibiotic resistant bacteria, compounded by a reduction in antibiotic discovery and development, jeopardizes human health. Historically, antibiotics derive from secondary metabolites produced by soil microbes in pure culture, but recent genetic evidence suggests that microbes can produce more secondary metabolites than are currently observed. The modified crowded plate technique directly identifies antibiotic-producing soil microbes that were co-plated with a target pathogen. Here, this technique was refined by testing the effect of a D-alanine auxotrophic target pathogen rather than a prototrophic pathogen as well as investigating conditions most conducive to antibiotic production. Antibiotic producing conditions are most favorable with the use of a D-alanine auxotrophic pathogen that was pre-incubated for one week. Antibiotic-producing microbes isolated using these new parameters were cultured in single and mixed fermentations to compare secondary metabolite production. Furthermore, mixed fermentations with multiple antibiotic producers is an effective means to stimulate antibiotic production.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (MS)

Level thesis:degree_level

Open Access Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Lindow, Rebecca

Contributors dc:contributor

• Paul Price, PhD
• Aaron Liepman, PhD
• Daniel Clemans, PhD

• Antibiotics
• Bacteria
• Culturing
• Fermentation
• Microbes
• Soil
• Biology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Biology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.emich.edu/theses/1036

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.emich.edu:theses-2412