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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

antibiotic compounds, plant microbes, penicillin, infectious diseases

College

Physical and Mathematical Sciences

Department

Chemistry and Biochemistry

Abstract

The discovery of penicillin by Alexander Flemming in the early twentieth century is seen as one of the most significant medical advances in the past 100 years. Millions of people have had their lives preserved or prolonged due to the use of effective antibiotics since their discovery and wide-spread use. However, with the incredibly diverse and constantly evolving infectious diseases older antibiotics such as penicillin are becoming obsolete in the fight against infection. Thus, there remains a constant need to discover antibiotics effective against today’s diseases. Plants are a rich source of antibiotic compounds. Because plants live and compete in environments with infectious disease just as humans do, they have developed effective defense mechanisms against potentially harmful diseases. One method of defense used by plants is that of a symbiotic relationship developed between the plants themselves and “good” microorganisms. Some microbes, such as fungi or bacteria, excrete compounds that kill any nearby competing microbes. These microbes live inside the tissue of plants and find a constant source of nutrients. In return, the microbe offers the plant protection from other more harmful bacteria or fungi. Experimental

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