Given the rising resistance of bacteria to antibiotic treatment, especially in nosocomial locales, I designed three experiments to test suspected antibiotic producing bacteria to identify the mechanism of action of each one. Five different samples of bacteria were first exposed to various antibiotics, those with shared resistances were paired and co-cultured, and those with opposing responses to specific antibiotics were paired and co-cultured. Two of the five samples produced a zone of inhibition in the final experiment while the remaining three did not produce them. To conclude, although there is some evidence that the mechanisms of action a bacteria is resistant to is indicative of the type of antibiotic it produces, confirmation of such a relationship requires further research.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Wernick, Ilaria C.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-050521-150429
• 22291

Keyword

• Mechanism of Action
• ESKAPE Pathogens
• Antibiotic Resistance

Advisor

• Buckholt, Michael Allan
• Rulfs, Jill

Year

• 2021

Date created

• 2021-05-05

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-08-28