How Weed Killers Create Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
with guest: Dr. Ville Friman, PhD
Antibiotic resistance happens when germs like bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs are not killed and continue to grow. Antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest public health challenges of our time. Each year in the U.S., at least 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection, and more than 35,000 people die. It was once thought that the increase in the rate of antibiotic resistance was due to the widespread overuse of antibiotics. That may not at all be the case.
A new study from the University of York shows the use of weed killers can increase the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacteria in soil. Herbicides are one of the most widely used chemicals in agriculture and while these compounds are used to target weeds, they can cause damage to soil microbes, such as bacteria and fungi, potentially changing the ecological properties of microbial communities. Scientists from China and the UK studied the effect of three widely used herbicides called glyphosate, glufosinate and dicamba on soil bacterial communities. Source https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210216185910.htm
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Show Notes:
How Weed Killers Create Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria
[5:12] Antibiotic resistance is a problem.
- Antibiotics remain active when making it to an animal’s environment, even though the antibiotic may be diluted.
[6:54] What inspired this research?
- It aimed to examine the use of antibiotics in plants in order to compliment the research in animal husbandry.
- What about the antibiotics in the animal’s feces?
- How can we prevent the release of antibiotic resistant bacteria?
[12:21] How herbicides work.
- The idea is use a dose that is lethal to the target bacteria but not too harmful for us.
- The same mutations that allow bacteria to adapt to antibiotics also allow them to do the same for antimicrobials.
- This eventually leads to an environment that kills off other bacteria while the resistant bacteria survive.
[16:50] Antibiotics are seldom specific.
[18:10] The importance of buying organic food.
- GMO are modified to survive higher pesticide use.
[20:50] Most crops do not get a higher yield from applying pesticides.
[30:53] Study Design.
- There was a clear increase in antibiotic system genes when herbicides were applied to bacteria.
- Used genomic sequencing.
- Ran for ~900 bacterial generations.
- Increased hydrolytic enzymes to breakdown antibiotics in the cell.
- Also decreased cell permeability to protect the bacteria.
[35:30] Antibiotics also assist in the movement of plasmids in bacteria.
[44:06] Were there any differences between different herbicides in terms of effects?
[50:23] Antibiotics can make animals fatter by allowing more absorption of calories consumed.
- There are low levels of antibiotic that are in the meat that you are probably eating as well.
[55:40] what should soybean/ corn farmers be thinking about?
[58:40] Ville is in a metal bad: Insomnium.
