April 7, 2008

Antibiotics Feed These Bacteria, Instead of Killing Them

It sounds like science fiction, but it's not. A paper published today in the journal Science explains that some bacteria thrive on a diet of antibiotics, instead of dying as previous science predicts they should...

It sounds like science fiction, but it's not. A paper published today in the journal Science explains that some bacteria thrive on a diet of antibiotics, instead of dying as previous science predicts they should.

The story is getting a lot of play in national media. The research comes from a team led by George Church, professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School. They stumbled on their finding as they tried to use the antibiotics to kill off bacteria in soil, as part of an effort to develop biofuels from agricultural waste.

Read the AP account, via the New York Times, here, or listen to an audio clip from NPR here.

You might also like

A man sitting at a wooden table in a formal setting with portraits on the wall.

A theatrical reenactment explores a 1976 clash between science and democracy.

Star-filled night sky with the Milky Way arching over a rocky silhouette.

There’s a growing movement to curb light pollution. It starts on your front porch.

Colorful abstract design resembling an octopus with intricate swirls and patterns.

Growing liver implants, mapping the sense of smell, and journalism at risk

Most popular

Photo montage showing Harvard’s Widener Library and the edifice of the Supreme Court divided by a gavel.

The Supreme Court Affirmative Action Rulings: An Analysis

The underlying arguments project clashing worldviews of race and appropriate remedies.

A blue refrigerator covered with animal pictures, notes, and drawings, surrounded by greenery.

An animal’s journey from grief to love shows how much humans need each other, too.

Computer artwork of an autoradiogram of DNA sequences.

There’s (Still) No Gay Gene

Genes seem to play a role in determining sexual orientation, but it’s small, uncertain, and complicated.

Explore More From Current Issue

A woman with long hair stands confidently with crossed arms next to a pickup truck.

Alumni Profiles

In her memoir All That's Unseen, Emilee Hackney explores religion, friendship, and home.

A vibrant group of dancers in colorful outfits poses on a stage with shiny decorations.

Arts & Culture

The Harvard Arts Medalist wants his smash-hit Cats revival to reach “as many young queer people” as possible.

Black and white photo of Joseph Murray in a white lab coat sitting in an office.

Alumni Profiles

Nobel Prize recipient Joseph E. Murray dedicated much of his career to organ transplant surgery.