• Question: It was very helpful, thanks ! But, if you manage to create an antibiotic, it will, of course, try to take metals away from bacteria, but, do you think it could be used for a huge number of bacteria, or just for a few ?

    Asked by P-Brain to Marikka on 12 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Marikka Beecroft

      Marikka Beecroft answered on 12 Nov 2014:

      The antibiotics that we hope would be made from this will either take metals away from the bacteria or even attack the bacteria’s ability to pick up the metals it needs or stop it from getting rid of the metals that are toxic to it.

      That is a good question! It can be used for a range of bacteria, but each species of bacteria has slightly different transport systems. What we are hoping is that we can eventually make antibiotics that can target specific types of bacteria that way we can get rid of the bacteria that is causing the illness but keep the ones that are good for the body.

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