New bacteria found in raw honey produce and secrete novel antibiotics discovered by a 15 year old teenager

Amazing stuff! The many incredible properties of honey!

It is actually a sad state of affairs that at the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, we are still so dependent on accidental discovery of novel antibiotics that are naturally produced.

"... dormant and previously undescribed bacteria found in raw honey produce antibiotics that can kill the bacterial pathogen Legionella. ..."

From the abstract:

"The majority of antibiotics are natural products, with microorganism-generated molecules and their derivatives being the most prevalent source of drugs to treat infections. Thus, identifying natural products remains the most valuable resource for novel therapeutics. Here, we report the discovery of a series of dormant bacteria in honey that have bactericidal activity toward Legionella, a bacterial pathogen that causes respiratory disease in humans. We show that, in response to bacterial products secreted by Legionella, the honey bacteria release diffusible antimicrobial molecules. Remarkably, the honey bacteria only produce these molecules in response to Legionella spp., when compared to a panel of 24 bacterial pathogens from different genera. However, the molecules induced by Legionella have broad activity against several clinically important pathogens, including many high-priority pathogens. Thus, Legionella spp. are potent drivers of antimicrobial molecule production by uncharacterized bacteria isolated from honey, providing access to new antimicrobial products and an unprecedented strategy for discovering novel antibiotics."

Study inspired by curious 15-year-old could advance search for novel antibiotics | Hub "New bacteria found in raw honey could benefit the fight against Legionnaires' disease and antibiotic resistance ..."

Novel induction of broad-spectrum antibiotics by the human pathogen Legionella (open access)