Bacteria collected from a Doctor Who Dalek could be the key to exterminating future diseases, according to research by the UCL Eastman Dental Institute.
The ‘Swab and Send’ project, led by Dr Adam Roberts, saw bacteria collected from the surface of a Dalek in the foyer of BBC's Broadcasting House in London. When the bacteria was examined scientists discovered separate colonies of bacteria (thousands of cells that grow from one original bacterial cell) that appeared to be producing antibiotics that could potentially be developed as a medicine for the future.
Dr Roberts said: “We got at least three different types of bacteria from the Dalek that were able to 'exterminate' our Micrococcus indicator strain.”
Bacteria and fungi have evolved to produce chemicals (antibiotics) as weapons to compete with other microbes nearby. This is a fundamental insight that can help find new antibiotics and allowed Alexander Fleming to find penicillin in 1928.
Now the ‘Swab and Send’ project team are asking the public to send in various swabs from drains, sinks, floors, houseplants, compost heaps, the bottom of shoes, the back of fridges or puddles to name but a few. The swabs can be sent back in an envelope provided for processing by the microbiology labs at the UCL Eastman Dental Institute. The team will then be able to determine if there are any bacteria present on individual swabs that have the ability to kill other, clinically important bacteria.
Any that can, will be identified and the team will try to find out if they are producing a new antibiotic.
Dr Roberts said: “One of the most pressing problems facing healthcare are bacteria which are resistant to the antibiotics we use to kill them when they cause infections. The problem is so serious that we are on the verge of having no useful antibiotics left for some common infections. There is therefore a global need to find new antibiotics.
“Most of the antibiotics we currently rely on are naturally produced by bacteria and fungi from various competitive environments such as soil. These microbes produce lots of different antibiotics to kill their competitors so they can have all the food and space. This gives us an opportunity. If we can find new antibiotics that microbes are producing we can use them to kill bacteria that cause infections.”
The Swab and Send team will be at stand 39 at the UCLH Research Open Day on 28 June 2016 where visitors can take part and find out more.
To find out more about Swab and Send visit www.swabandsend.co.uk or follow the Twitter hashtag #swabandsend
