Scientists at Harvard University have discovered that bacteria found in Neanderthal teeth can be used to develop new antibiotics. Research published in the journal Science.
The scientists analyzed DNA from the tartar of 12 Neanderthals, 34 ancient Homo Sapiens, and 18 modern humans living in Europe and Africa from 100,000 years ago to the present. This allowed them to learn about the evolution of the oral microbiome, the hundreds of species of microscopic organisms that live in the human mouth and survive in tartar.
The researchers then focused on two species from a genus of bacteria called Chlorobiumfound during the study in seven people studied. These previously unknown species were genetically close to bacteria. C. limicola, found in springs near caves. It’s likely that people living in environments associated with caves may have gotten the bacteria into their drinking water, the scientists explained.
Interestingly, these species Chlorobium The tartars of people who lived in the last 10,000 years were almost nonexistent. Changes in distribution frequency Chlorobiumapparently coincided with changes in the lifestyle of human ancestors.
The team also analyzed so-called biosynthetic gene clusters (BGCs). The scientists injected these genes into living bacteria and began to secrete two new proteins that could play a role in photosynthesis. Scientists say new methods could one day lead to new antibiotics.
“Bacteria are the source of nearly all of our antibiotics – we haven’t really discovered a new class of antibiotics in the past few years and stocks are running out. Our methods make it possible to search for potentially antibiotic-producing BGCs in the past,” the scientists said.