Bacterial Resistance: I Do Not Think So!

Bacterial Resistance: I Do Not Think So!

    The overuse of antibiotics is becoming more and more prevalent in our lives. We see it used in our food, our animals and even when we go to the doctors (regardless if it is a bacterial or viral infection). This is causing huge problems as more bacteria are becoming resistant to our antibiotics which can leave future treatment futile.

     Yaroslava Chalenkoa, Victoria Shumyantsevaa, Svetlana Ermolaevab, and Alexander Archakova from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences are looking into developing a simple, quick and cheap methodology for screening potential drugs to be used to treat bacterial infections. The researchers use the Escherichia coli JM109 strain and look at its electrochemical activity towards common antibiotics such as cefepime, ampicillin, amikacin, and erythromycin. Using disposable screen-printed graphite electrodes, which are usually no bigger than the size of a penny, the researchers were able to test the potential drug candidates for bacterial resistance in only two to five hours.

     Although we should focus on reducing the amount of antibiotics we use in everyday life, it is comforting to know that bacteria have not completely taken over our world. Through modern electrochemical research, we can try to improve modern medicine.

For more information on this article please look at the following article:

Chalenkoa, Y.; Shumyantsevaa, V.; Ermolaevab, S.; & Archakova, A. (2012). Electrochemistry  

       of Escherichia coli JM109: Direct electron transfer and antibiotic resistance.

       Biosens. Bioelectron, 32, 219 – 223.