A team of researchers from Skoltech University in Russia, collaborating with colleagues in China, identified a rich reservoir of bacteria that generate a spectrum of antibiotics in both the waters and soils of the Tibetan Plateau. The findings are documented in the peer reviewed journal Frontiers in Microbiology.
Bacterial communities often evolve in competitive ecosystems, producing substances that help them outcompete neighboring microbes and secure scarce resources. These natural compounds can also prove effective in suppressing or killing rival bacteria, offering valuable leads for antibiotic development.
The international team collected numerous samples and forwarded them to the Beijing Antimicrobial Laboratory. There, scientists cultivated the microorganisms on nutrient media, isolating key bioactive compounds with potential to neutralize pathogenic threats and support medical treatment strategies.
Subsequent analyses revealed that microbes inhabiting the Tibetan Plateau’s salt lakes synthesize substances such as gedamicin and kidamicin, while soil-dwelling microbes produce rifamycin. These discoveries demonstrate the diverse antimicrobial arsenal present in extreme high-altitude ecosystems.
While the compounds identified were already recognized in scientific literature, their existence at such elevations surprised researchers. The work suggests that further field studies could uncover entirely new antibiotics capable of addressing multidrug resistant bacteria and expanding the global therapeutic toolkit, according to the study team.
Earlier efforts by scientists resulted in the development of drugs aimed at bacteria that exhibit resistance to most existing medicines, illustrating a long-standing pursuit to stay ahead of evolving microbial threats.