Bioprospecting for anti-gonococcal and meningococcal antibiotics

Congrats to the freshman biology students in my Introductory Biology lab section (Biol126) on their recent publication! Students in the class isolated bacteria from soil samples from Geneseo, NY, classified them, and tested their ability to produce antibiotics under different conditions. They found three strains that inhibited the growth of Neisseria commensals, close relatives of important human pathogens. We ultimately hope that these compounds will also inhibit the growth of gonococcal strains, providing potential new antimicrobial therapies for treatment of gonorrhea. 

https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/mra.00627-22