Scientists have literally turned to dirt to find a new antibiotic that appears to easily cure severe infections, according to a new study published in the journal Nature.
Researchers report they extracted the drug from bacteria that live in dirt. It's the first new antibiotic to be discovered in close to 30 years and scientists say it represents a paradigm shift in the fight against growing resistance to drugs.
A team from Northeastern University in Boston discovered the drug, called Teixobactin, by using an electronic chip to grow microbes in soil. They then isolated their antibiotic compounds.
Bacteriologist Alexander Fleming discovered the first antibiotic known as penicillin in 1928. More than a hundred compounds have been discovered since, but no new drugs have been found since 1987.
The lack of new medicines coupled with doctors who over-prescribe has led to the problem of bacteria that have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics.
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