Why Some Civil War Soldiers Glowed in the Dark

[deeths]

http://mentalfloss.com/article/30380/why-some-civil-war-soldiers-glowed-dark

[BrandonMarc]

Mostly-harmless (to humans) bacteria that release crude antibiotics in order to kill competing bacteria ... Now that's impressive. The glowing part is an amazing add-on, helping the symbiotic relationship with the parasitic micro-worms the bacteria live in/with.

[coupdejarnac]

I wonder if the chemicals produced by the bacteria could be synthesized and made into a useful medicine. Perhaps useful for immunocompromised patients?

[forktheif → coupdejarnac]

That's where a lot of antibiotics come from.

Antibiotics that have names ending in -mycin often come from bacteria.

[JulianMorrison → forktheif]

I wonder if human-caused antibiotic resistance turns around and harms the critters who were originally using that antibiotic as self defense?

[BrandonMarc → forktheif]

Thanks for that. Is it also true that those ending in -icillin (amoxicillin, penicillin, etc) come from fungi - a major competitor to bacteria? Or am I mistaken?

[deeths → coupdejarnac]

I'm uncertain if anyone is synthesizing this particular bacteria's antibiotic, but there's some research in using it as a natural insecticide: http://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Photorhabdus_lumines...