The Prehistory of Antibiotic Resistance

The Prehistory of Antibiotic Resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is a global problem that is reaching crisis levels. The global collection of resistance genes in clinical and environmental samples is the antibiotic "resistome," and is subject to the selective pressure of human activity. The origin of many modern resistance genes in pathogens is likely environmental bacteria, including antibiotic producing organisms that have existed for...

The prehistory of compassion.

B eyond the biological traits that differentiate ancient species of hominins from extant humans, differences in social organization remain an important yet difficult issue to assess. Psychological features and interindividual relations, in particular, are among the least accessible aspects of past behaviors. Although the fossil and archaeological records do not easily allow us to tackle these k...

The Antibiotic Resistance Crisis

INTRODUCTION The rapid emergence of resistant bacteria is occurring worldwide, endangering the efficacy of antibiotics, which have transformed medicine and saved millions of lives.1–6 Many decades after the first patients were treated with antibiotics, bacterial infections have again become a threat.7 The antibiotic resistance crisis has been attributed to the overuse and misuse of these medica...

The “ Evolution ” of Antibiotic Resistance

An increase in the frequency of antibiotic resistance in bacteria since the 1950s has been observed for all major classes of antibiotics used to treat a wide variety of respiratory illnesses, skin disorders, and sexually transmitted diseases. Is this resistance the result of bacteria evolving new genes in response to the presence of antibiotics, or are antibiotic-resistant bacteria selected for...

The Landscape of Antibiotic Resistance