antibiotics and the development of new drugs Flashcards
(23 cards)
what are antibiotics
group of drugs that are produced by microorganisms used to prevent the growth of fungal and bacterial infections
what are antibiotics effective against
prokaryotic cells but leave eukaryotic cells unharmed
two different types of antibiotics
-bactericidal
-bacteriostatic
what do bactericidal antibiotics do
kills bacteria cells
what do bacteriostatic antibiotics do
-slows the growth/reproduction allowing immune system time to work
what do some antibiotics prevent
prevent formation of bacterial cell walls, resulting in osmotic lysis
what is the name/term for conflict between pathogens and their host
the “evolutionary arms race”`
how does resistance develop?
-colony of bacteria susceptible to antibiotic
-most bacteria in colony= killed
-if random mutation occurs in bacteria that confers resistance, that bacterium will survive
-reproduce passing on resistant alleles into colony which is resistant
-when antibiotic present, resistant bacteria has advantage
example of superbugs
-MRSA and C difficile
describe MRSA
resistant to most antibiotics, started with methicillin
-become more popular in hospitals
why have methods of prevention and control of bacteria been adopted
due to emergence of antibiotic resistance
methods of prevention and control examples
-only prescribed when needed
-patients should complete the full course of antibiotics
-introduction of infection control in hospitals like screening patients/sanitising
what do aseptic techniques ensure
that the microbe being investigated doesn’t escape or become contaminated with other unwanted and possibly pathogenic microbes
what are aseptic techniques important in preventing
accidental culture of human pathogens
example of aseptic techniques
-closing windows/doors to avoid drafts
-disinfecting work surfaces with disinfectant/alcohol
-all apparatus must be fully sterilised before e.g. in an autoclave
-store agar plates upside down
the development of drugs: categories
-traditional remedies and the history of drug development
-observation of wildlife and further plant research
the use of drugs: categories
-personalised medicine
-synthetic biology
how have drugs been developed from traditional remedies
-traditionally used certain plants and extracts due to benefits
-such as morphine from the sap of unripe poppy seed heads and opium as an anaesthetic
how did observation of wildlife and further plant research help develop drugs
-animals use plants w medicinal properties
-monkeys, bears, rub citrus oils on their coats to prevent insect bites
how can drugs be used in personalised medicine
-sequencing technology and molecular modelling allows genomes of plants and microorganisms to be screened to identify potential medical compounds
-sequence genes from individuals with particular condition and develop specific drugs (personalised medicine)
how can drugs be used in synthetic biology
-developing new molecules e.g. enzymes that mimic biological systems
-design and construct new devices and systems useful in research, healthcare and manufacturing
why is asepsis so important
-unwanted organisms compete with the culture organisms for nutrients
-they produce more waste products
-they take up space that could be used by the culture organisms
-they could metabolise or contaminate the product you are trying to produce
what does the significance of asepsis mean in a real world context
-if food/medicine produced and contaminated the whole batch is considered unsafe has to be destroyed
-contamination can occur at any part of the process, scaling up, fermentation, harvesting
