The magic of holy soil. Or a natural antibiotic to kill multi-resistant pathogens? One of the biggest threats to mankind is that one of the most important discoveries of mankind may be losing its effect: Antibiotics. Over the past decades, research in Antibiotics has plummeted since large pharmaceutical companies cannot make enough money, compared to other drugs. Parallel to this, Antibiotics are widely abused and eaten like candy by some, and especially by the agricultural industry where they are often given to animals as a precaution rather than a treatment. This has led to many pathogens of common infections to become resistant against many known antibiotics. It is increasingly common to read about “hospital super-bugs” for instance that have no cure, or almost none. Gerry Quinn of Ulster University in Northern Ireland is a scientist looking for a solution, inspired by ancient tales and nature. This has led him to research the soil from graveyards in Northern Ireland, which has been known to have holy healing powers for generations. Spoiler alert: The soil is not holy, but has healing power — it contains Streptomyces, a strain of bacteria that is also a powerful antibiotic.
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