The field of antibiotic development has been in a holding pattern for over a quarter of a century, but researchers believe they've grown a new one that will become a 'game changer'.

 

The field of antibiotic development has been in a holding pattern for over a quarter of a century, but researchers believe they've grown a new one that will become a 'game changer'. What makes it so promising is that it's been shown to battle a number of pesky bacteria, including some that have become drug resistant. One of the problems with germs is that over time they figure out how to avoid the damaging effects of the medications designed to kill them. Combine that with the fact that it's been a very long time since new antibiotics have been developed, and what results is a swelling in the number of illnesses that are unable to be effectively treated. According to the CDC, there are 2 million people a year infected by drug-resistant germs, and nearly 25 thousand of them die as a result. This new batch of hopeful cures was grown using a revolutionary new method that allows the antibiotics to be cultivated in soil. Dirt provides an environment that's inherently conducive to such growth but prior to this was nearly impossible to replicate nature's abilities in a lab.There's quite a bit more testing to be done, however, and the process of getting a drug to market could take years.

Business: "Researchers Grow A 'Game Changer' Antibiotic"