Description
Antibiotic resistance is an increasing global health concern as many bacterial infections are becoming resistant to commonly used antibiotics. The Tiny Earth research initiative aims to address this issue by discovering novel antibiotic-producing bacteria from soil environments. In this study, soil samples were collected and plated to cultivate diverse bacterial colonies. Colonies of interest were isolated and screened for antibiotic activity against test organisms. Four bacterial isolates demonstrated observable antibiotic activity, and three isolates were selected for further molecular screening. These isolates were analyzed through Gram staining, DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and gel electrophoresis before being prepared for sequencing. Although sequencing results are still pending, the observed antibiotic activity suggests that soil-derived bacteria may represent promising candidates for future antibiotic discovery. Continued investigation of environmental microorganisms may play an important role in expanding the pool of potential antibiotics and addressing the growing threat of antibiotic-resistant infections.