Murphy, T. Brian et al. / ACS Omega
Students at a US high school brought goose feces to class. It seems like an unusual practical class, but the results were surprising.
A student at a high school in Chicago, USA, took goose droppings to his science cluba 14-week program of practical experiences. Seen from the outside, the scenario is strange, but it can ultimately save lives.
Touching bird poop with your bare hands is not safe because of all these pathogens, especially during a national bird flu outbreak, but when foi asked students to explore their neighborhood in search of substances that might have antibiotic propertiesJonathon Rodriguez and Camarria Williams couldn’t resist exploring goose poop.
With the supervision of researchers at the University of Illinois, the students carefully isolated a bacteria from goose excrement that showed antibiotic activitytells the
Until now, this type of bacteria was not known to contain any natural compounds, and to contain cancer-fighting properties.
A bacterium Pseudomonas not only showed antibiotic properties, but also produced a new natural product, called orfamide Nwhich had never been seen before by scientists. Previously discovered orfamids are known to have useful medical properties, so the team decided to investigate this further. And based on: in the laboratory, orfamide N slowed the growth of melanoma and ovarian cancer cells.
As dangerous bacteria from around the world become resistant to the current arsenal of antibiotics, scientists are desperately searching for new drugs and The natural world is one of the best places to look for antibacterial compounds.
Currently, the two teenagers have a published in October showing their name, in the magazine ACS.
In the study, researchers from the University of Illinois write that this discovery is proof that “It is possible to integrate educational awareness programs with the discovery of high-quality natural products“. Now, young people are “true biomedical scientists”.
