Scientists at Rockefeller University have opened their “Drugs From Dirt” project to the public, asking people to send in dirt samples which could potentially be tested for antibiotic-producing microbes and added to their ongoing microbial map.
Scientists are asking the public to send them samples of dirt, especially from unusual environments.
This is part of a Rockefeller University research project called “Drugs From Dirt” which aims to map the “microbial and chemical diversity” found in soil because it could provide insights into new drug discovery for humans.
Bacteria and other microbes in the soil naturally protect themselves by producing certain chemicals including antibiotics.
Most antibiotics originated from soil bacteria but the discovery of new compounds is limited because microbiologists tend to work with synthetic samples that can grow in a lab.
This amounts to about one percent of all microbes, missing a majority found in nature that could potentially be producing an
