Predatorske bakterije – mogu li uspjeti gdje antibiotici ne djeluju?

undergraduate thesis

• Title (english): Predatory bacteria – can they succeed where antibiotics do not work?
• Author: Anamarija Pfeiffer
• Mentor: Martina Šeruga Musić (mentor)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Biology); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2011, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Biology

Abstract

Predatorske bakterije daju nadu za zaustavljanje mnogih patogenih bakterija, od kojih su neke postale otporne na do sada poznate antibiotike i uzrokuju velike probleme, pogotovo u slučaju bolničkih infekcija. Dosadašnja istraživanja su pokazala da značajno reduciraju broj nekih od najpoznatijih patogenih bakterija poput vrste Klebsiella pneumoniae, uzročnika atipične upale pluća, ali i oportunističkog patogena koji može uzrokovati infekcije rana i urinarnog trakta, najčešće stečene u bolnici. Njihova je prednost i u tome što napadaju samo određene bakterijske vrste, što znači da u slučaju upotrebe kao živog antibiotika neće ubijati bakterije koje normalno žive u ljudskom tijelu, niti štetiti ljudima jer ne mogu napadati stanice sisavaca. Dosadašnja istraživanja pokazuju da nije moguć prijenos gena između predatora i plijena, pa se smatra malo vjerojatnim da bi predator mogao postati patogenim za ljude ili druge sisavce. Za razliku od standardnih antibiotika, takav živi antibiotik mogao bi evoluirati paralelno sa svojim plijenom, te plijen ne bi mogao postati rezistentan; bar ne zadugo. Ipak, čini se da se raspon plijena za neke predatore može povećati, što je jedna od glavnih tema novijih istraživanja. Drugi aspekti koje znanstvenici trebaju detaljno istražiti prije početka upotrebe predatorskih bakterija kao antibiotika jesu sve posljedice koje bi moglo imati unošenje stranog organizma u ljudsko tijelo.

Abstract (english)

Predatory bacteria raise hope for stopping a multitude of pathogenic bacteria, some of which have become resistant to currently used antibiotics and cause severe problems, primarily related to hospital-acquired infections. Research conducted so far has shown that predatory bacteria have the ability to significantly reduce some of the most famous pathogenic bacteria, such as Klebsiella pneumoniae, cause of an atypical pneumonia, but also an opportunistic pathogen that can cause urinary and wound infection, most commonly hospital-acquired. Another advantage of predatory bacteria is their tendency to attack only some species of bacteria. Therefore, if used as a living antibiotic they will not kill bacteria that are normal habitants of the human body, nor can they be harmful to humans as they cannot attack mammalian cells. Up to this date a case of gene transfer between the predatory bacteria and its prey hasn't been recorded, so it is considered unlikely for the predator to become pathogenic for humans or other mammals. Unlike standard antibiotics, a living antibiotic could evolve simultaneously with its prey, which would mean that the prey could not become resistant to it, at least not for long.

• Keywords: predatorske bakterije
• Keywords (english): predatory bacteria
• Language: croatian
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:611017
• Study programme: Title: Molecular Biology; Study programme type: university; Study level: undergraduate; Academic / professional title: sveučilišni/a prvostupnik/prvostupnica (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) molekularne biologije (sveučilišni/a prvostupnik/prvostupnica (baccalaureus/baccalaurea) molekularne biologije)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2018-04-09 12:45:40