Scientists Map Genetic Codes of Three Thousand Dangerous Bacteria

Scientists searching for new ways to combat drug-resistant 'superbugs' have identified and mapped the genomes of over three thousand bacteria, including one found in the nose of Alexander Fleming and the cause of bloody diarrhea in a World War I soldier. Researchers stated that this study, aimed at better understanding some of the deadliest diseases and discovering new ways to combat them, has also identified the DNA of deadly diseases such as bloody diarrhea, plague, and cholera. The sample related to Alexander Fleming, the British scientist who discovered penicillin in 1928, is among over 5,500 microbes and bacteria collected at the National Collection of Bacteria in the UK, one of the largest centers for research on pathogenic bacteria in the world. The first pathogenic bacteria transferred to this center was the cause of bloody diarrhea, collected in 1915 from a soldier on the front lines of World War I. Julian Parkhill, one of the officials of this research, said, 'Understanding the initial state of bacteria before the start of antibiotic use and comparing it with their current characteristics and behavior shows us how they have reacted to existing treatments. This will help us develop new antibiotics and vaccines.' Medical experts estimate that about 70% of bacteria have become resistant to at least the type of antibiotic commonly prescribed for their treatment. This trend has led to the evolution of 'superbugs' that can evade one or more types of drugs, posing a significant threat to medical science. One of the most serious threats is tuberculosis, which infects over 10 million people worldwide each year and caused 1.7 million deaths in 2016 alone. Gonorrhea, a sexually transmitted disease, is another case, affecting 78 million people annually, and the World Health Organization states it is becoming nearly untreatable. The results of this research on the genomes of over three thousand bacteria are set to be published on the website of the 'National Collection of Bacteria' in the UK and will be freely available to researchers worldwide to use this information for finding new ways to diagnose, treat, and produce drugs and vaccines.