Ancient 'Hero Bug'
After A Million Years, An Ancient 'Hero Bug' Emerged From This Cave, And It Might Change Everything
1. Little Microbes In A Deep, Dark Cavern
1,600 feet under New Mexico is Lechuguilla Cave, where scientists found a life form — bacteria, really — millions of years old. What's more important about this bacteria is that it has been isolated from humanity for millions of years.
2. How Lonely Have They Been?
The cave can only be reached by professionals, and it takes around 10,000 years for water to reach the bottom of the cave. This means that it has grown untouched by modern medicine, or modern society in general, for a very long time.
3. Old But Stubborn Bacteria
Microbiologist Hazel Barton of Northern Kentucky University and her team picked up bacterial samples from the walls and found ones that are "superbugs," or those that are resistant to antibiotics. One of the samples from the cave, Paenibacillus, is an example of these "superbugs." It has a big difference, however: it's nonpathogenic.
4. What Does Nonpathogenic Mean?
When the word "superbug" is mention it's normally time to freak out, since people think of the ones in hospitals and animal farms. Nonpathogenic bacteria are the type that does not cause illness in humans. That means the ancient superbug of Lechuguilla can get past defenses, but it won't hurt you – a kind of "hero bug."
5. The Secrets Of Luchiguilla Cave
The research from Luchiguilla Cave showed surprising discoveries. The fact that even at its age it is resistant means that the idea of antibiotic resistance isn't as new as we thought it was. Maybe it's something "hardwired into bacteria."
6. Cave Diving Can Bring Life-Saving Medicine
Jumping into a cave can find the answer to finding new antibiotics. These new "hero bugs" are natural, untouched and ready to be tested and broken down into compounds. Hopefully, it will lead to effective antibiotics that will save lives.
7. Which We're Going To Need Soon...
These million-year finds are important for medicine and pharmaceuticals. We're getting closer to a point where the antibiotics we use now are becoming powerless against stronger, resistant strains of bacteria. One strain of E.coli has even become resistant to an antibiotic used as a last resort.
8. ...Because The Consequences Are Very Dangerous
They are racing against the clock to find new options before people die in hospitals for no reason. 25,000 people die in Europe alone from infections that used to be treatable.
9. There's Already Signs Of Hope
A Paenibacillus that was custom-made years before the discovery of the ones in Luchiguilla Cave already proved its worth. It's also pathogenic and was designed to eat up other bacteria.
10. Making Scientists Into Spelunkers For Medicine
There are plenty of other rock formations to explore and sample in this cave. There are also caves in other parts of the world that may hold the secrets to new antibiotics as well. All scientists have to do is put on their gear and start spelunking.