Anthracimycin
Introduction
Anthracimycin is an antibiotic discovered in 2012 that is able to kill gram-positive bacteria, namely anthrax (Bacillus Anthracis). It also may be able to kill methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and therefore is an extremely relevant research topic. MRSA is a growing problem in the modern world because of its astonishing capacity to develop drug resistance, so a new antibiotic that defends again MRSA would be a revolutionary discovery. It was found in an ocean microbe called Streptomyces sp. off the shores of Santa Barbara, California. Professor Wiliam Fenical, along with his team of researchers, discovered the compound.
Chemical Structure of Anthracimycin
Anthracimycin, according to Professor Fenical, has a "new and unique chemical structure." New antibiotics do not often have completely unique structures, which is what makes the discovery of anthracimycin particularly important. The technique used to determine the chemical structure of anthracimycin is called spectroscopy.
Potential Uses
Anthracimycin has been shown to effectively kill anthrax bacteria, which has been used most notably as a bioterrorism weapon. Scientists also predict that it may be able to kill MRSA. .
Conclusion
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References
Edited by [Emily Vachon], student of Joan Slonczewski for BIOL 116 Information in Living Systems, 2013, Kenyon College.
