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A humble wasp learned how to use sophisticated antibiotics millions of years before the invention of penicillin, research has shown.
Beewolf wasps used antibiotics millions of years before Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin
Seeded on Tue Mar 2, 2010 4:54 PM EST
Article Source: the Mail online- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
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Digger wasps of the family Philanthus, also known as "beewolves", harness beneficial bacteria to manufacture a cocktail of drugs that protect its larvae from infection.
Scientists who made the discovery believe it could assist the development of new agents to combat human "superbugs".
The era of antibiotics began in 1928 when Alexander Fleming spotted how penicillin produced by green mould killed bacteria.
But long before, Philanthus wasps were coating their cocoons with antibiotics to fight off harmful microbes.
The insects not only evolved a method of manufacturing antibiotics, they used them in a highly effective way, said the scientists writing in the journal Nature Chemical Biology.
- 1 vote
#1 - Tue Mar 2, 2010 5:09 PM ESTMost interesting, what an amazing find. It's similar to ants that grow fungi for food, perhaps social insects do more of this sort of thing than we suspect?
- 2 votes
#2 - Wed Mar 3, 2010 3:27 AM ESTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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